Scientists have discovered we often respond to a placebo as well as a drug during clinical trials. Why? Because the patient thinks he or she has been given the drug. By the power of his thoughts or expectations, the effect is produced with or without the drug. In effect, our thoughts become our realities. Though we can’t control what thought enters our mind, we can control whether or not it stays there. The power to quickly change our thoughts is perhaps the most life-altering power we possess. The commitment to allow only positive, courageous and loving thoughts to remain in our mind takes consistent awareness, practice and determination or we’ll fall back into old negative habits.
I once sat in a class where an instructor, who had studied the human brain all his life, told us that when we have a negative, fearful or hateful thought we immediately lose 30 IQ points. Translation: we get instantly dumb. He told us recent studies indicated that negative, fearful and hateful thoughts cause us to operate from the primitive portions of our brain. On the other hand, he told us positive, hopeful and loving thoughts originate from the portion of our brain that allows us to use our higher level thinking and reasoning skills. In other words, when we are having negative, fearful or hateful thoughts we would be wise to replace them quickly before we do something really stupid.
For example, once while I was loading dirty laundry into the washing machine, my husband walked up behind me and said, “Jan, if water starts squirting everywhere, turn this knob.” Then he carefully demonstrated where and how to turn off the water. Well, several months later I was at the kitchen sink washing dishes when water suddenly sprayed everywhere. I was startled and scared. I immediately ran over to the washing machine, reached up and turned the knob. Yet when I turned back and looked into the kitchen, water was still squirting everywhere. Because I was scared, I was not using my higher level thinking skills. I told myself to calm down and take deep breath.
Let’s see, I thought. If I can turn off the water with a knob next to the washing machine, maybe there is a knob next to the kitchen sink.
I walked back into the kitchen, opened the cabinet below the sink and sure enough, there was a knob attached to a pipe down there. I reached inside and turned it. It worked! The water quit squirting. I was so proud of myself.
Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life!
