In general, I believe that people underestimate the power of
their thoughts. We forget that we live in a world of solidified
thought: that every invention since the beginning came about because of an
idea. Someone, somewhere, saw a need and began to formulate an idea of how to
fulfil that need. From the simple things we use daily (soap or forks) to the
huge, mechanical wonders (cars or airplanes) of the world, each began very
small and grew from there.
But the power of our thoughts doesn’t lie solely in
invention. Our thoughts can actually determine who we are, and who we can
become.Let me give you two examples: Thomas the Tank Engine, and Eeyore. Both of these are characters from children’s stories, but both have let their thoughts affect them for good or ill.
Thomas is given a difficult task and takes to it with vigor. He knows that he is a small engine, but he also knows that he can accomplish whatever he sets his mind to. Throughout his story, Thomas repeats to himself that familiar saying: “I think I can. I think I can,” which eventually leads Thomas to accomplishing his task. Thomas’ thoughts were essential in carrying him through his job. Whenever he began to doubt himself, he reminded himself that he could finish, and it gave him courage to continue.
Still a little too fictional for you? Okay, here is an example from my own life. My family loves Moab, and when we owned a jeep, we enjoyed exploring as many trails as possible. Some were easy, and some were hard. One of the most difficult trails that my dad really wanted to explore is called “Moab Rim.” He had never done it before and wanted to give it a try.
I started the trail riding in the jeep with my dad, but on the first major bump, the jeep nearly flipped sideways. From my seat, I was nearly parallel to the ground. When the jeep righted, my dad asked me to get out of the jeep so if anyone got hurt, it would be him alone. I obediently got out, but still wanted to see the top of the trail. So I began to hike. It was a grueling hike, and there were many times I wanted to turn back and stop. My cousin, who had started the hike with me, gave up when he decided the journey was not worth it.
I kept walking. There were many times I told myself “No one will care if you stop.” Those were the times I nearly did stop. The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that I COULD reach the top, and that, if nothing else, I would know what I had accomplished. This thought carried me through the hike, and I did reach the top of Moab Rim. The view was worth the climb, and to this day I feel very proud of myself when I think about that experience. Not to mention, I used Moab Rim as a base for a long time: “If I could hike Moab Rim, I can definitely do this.” Positive thoughts build on each other, just as negative thoughts do.
So what do positive and negative thoughts have to do with the point I am trying to get across today? I believe that in our society, we have let our thoughts turn more and more negative as the world around us is getting worse and worse. It is easy to do. We see the suffering and hardship on the news, and it is easy to get depressed. It is easy to think that there is no silver lining, and that the sun in fact will NOT rise tomorrow. It is easy to believe we are worthless and hopeless and that the rut we find ourselves in is the same rut we will be in ten years from now.
Which is rubbish.
The sun will rise, and the world is not as dark or desolate as we perceive sometimes. We just need to believe it. And despite what the media portrays, there are a lot of good people in this world trying to do the right thing. We are not evil, lazy, hopeless clods of earth.
We are human beings. We have the ability to change.
Our brain is amazing. I watched an episode of Scientific American Frontiers once with Alan Alda, and he performed an experiment where he tricked his brain. Yes, you read that correctly. Alan Alda participated in an experiment where he learned that it is possible to trick the human brain into thinking and believing specific things. Even if they are false.
So what if the hopelessness of the world is not true?
Consider that for a moment. What if the hopelessness you feel when you think about the terrible state of the world is a lie? Something you have been taught to believe all of your life because the media says it is so? And what if you can change your perspective? I believe it is possible.
And if our perspective of a hopeless, terrible world is false, then what about the image we portray of ourselves? It stands to reason that it is false, too.
There is a horrible, pervasive lie that for some reason has sunk itself deep into our hearts. It affects me, and I am sure it affects you. It is apparent when we brush away compliments, saying they are undeserved. It is obvious when we repeatedly berate ourselves for making the same mistakes over and over. And it is shown when we are willing to show others compassion, but don’t give ourselves the benefit of the doubt. The lie is that “I am not good enough. I am hopeless.”
Like the lie about the terribleness of the world, I know this is false. I don’t believe that there is anyone on this world not worth saving; and I don’t believe that we are hopeless. As I mentioned earlier, we are human beings. We have the power to change.
Disentangling ourselves from this lie is difficult. It seems that to our very depths, we believe that we are worthless. So how do we begin to see ourselves as beings with purpose? How do we begin to see ourselves as the people we were meant to be? Here are a few suggestions to how we can help our brains see the truth about who we really are.
- It starts with a thought. Take some quiet time, and consciously think to yourself “I am worth something. I can be whatever I want to be.” Think of three nice things about yourself (I know. It is difficult. Jeremy has encouraged me to do this many times, and I have a difficult time with it).
- Think of people you love; and people who love you in return. Whether this be God, a friend, a family member, or your dog, realize that these people mean something to you, and you mean something to them. If you can’t believe it yourself, trust in their judgment; trust that they see something worthwhile in you.
- Fake it ‘til you make it. I know this sounds tacky, but I believe that some of this low self-esteem comes from habit, rather than belief. I know that if you walk with your head held high, you will begin to feel a difference. Act like you love yourself, and you will be surprised when one day you find you actually do.
- Make peace with yourself. And, if necessary, with others. Sometimes we hold onto things far longer than we should. If there is someone that you need to apologize to, do it. Don’t let it gnaw at you any longer.
- Take time to consider who you are, and who you want to be. This is a huge step in seeing value in yourself. If you can consider the very base of who you are, you can begin to see the truth. And as you see the truth of who you are, you can make goals and think about who you want to become.
- Finally, give yourself just a smidgen of the compassion that you grant others. You are human. You will make mistakes. You will lose sight of who you are occasionally. Believe in yourself.
The human mind is incomparable.
It takes in much more than we realize. It has helped us to become who we are,
and it helps us know who we want to be.
As Dr. Seuss says in his book Oh, the Places You’ll Go! “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
Let’s choose to steer ourselves in a more hopeful direction, away from the pessimistic notion that we are not good enough. Instead, let’s steer ourselves in a much more positive way, and begin our journey towards that person we want to be.
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