JUST WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

The Power of Thought

Horrible things happen to people in this world over which they have no control, no advance warning, and few ways with which to cope with desperate situations and circumstances. Those are not your garden-variety “bad days”; those are ones filled with great trauma, suffering, and loss. And yet, even with such a drastic scenario, there are enormous possibilities for survival and growth if you have in your soul the will to find meaning in your life, no matter the circumstances. The experiences of Viktor E. Frankl, who spent three years in German concentration camps, are a testament to this phenomenon and are documented in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning. And as Nietzsche said, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” It is your own heartbreaking experience through which you can transform your very being, deepening and opening to your true essence.

For the purposes of this book, focus on some of the reasons that make your days so unbearably lousy and what can be done about it.

What was your reaction when you read the title of this book?

• An audible gasp.
• “Impossible!”
• “Tragic things happen over which I have no control.”
• “Bad days make me human.”
• “Nobody has 365 good days a year.”
• “It would take a miracle for me to never have another bad day.”
  
  

And what if a miracle did happen and you never had another bad day in your whole entire life? Now just how great would that feel? Just imagine how thrilling your life could be each and every moment if you weren’t spending so much time “dealing” with your bad days.

There’s no magic genie that is going to pop out of a lantern to grant your wish of “no more bad days”; the real magic lies in your own attitudes and behaviors. Your response to the world is what creates your world, which means you can change your world! Yes, you really are that powerful. Sorry, no more cop-outs for not having great days every day. No more blaming somebody or something for how you feel. The gig is up, the die has been cast, the frost is on the pumpkin, the party’s over, and it’s time for you to take charge of YOU!

Is “taking charge of you” an easy task? Your answer is:

• Yes
• No
• Maybe
  
  

Which one did you choose? Right answer! If you’ve decided it will be an easy task, then it will be. It’s also true that if you decided it will be a difficult task, it will be. And if you answered maybe, then just live in the question a while, consider what’s possible for you and your life. Whatever belief you hold in your heart and soul is what will manifest in your life. So, if you believe, or at least dearly want to believe, that you can actually have NO MORE BAD DAYS, then let’s GO!


HAVE THOUGHT, WILL TRAVEL

You are a being filled with energy and very much like a battery; on some days you’re running a little low, and on others you’re on “full steam ahead.” No matter, your entire body is constantly emitting different lengths of energy waves that vary with your physical well-being, thoughts, and emotions. And the really cool thing (or not so cool thing) about this is that other people are actually receiving those energy waves you’re sending out, whether they realize it or not—and more important, whether you realize it or not at this point. And your own body is receiving the messages you send to it!

How often have you just thought of someone, the phone rings, and . . . it’s that person? Or someone comes into your head whom you haven’t seen or heard from in months or years, and then two or three days later you receive a letter from that person? How cool is that? Both of these are examples of thought sent, thought received, “Roger, over and out!” No instant messaging system could possibly be as instantaneous or as reliable.

So, if your honest intention is to set down the path of “no more bad days,” you’ll need to beware of what you’re thinking. What you think is what you get. Lousy thoughts equal lousy responses. It’s that simple and that complicated. Simple because jeesh! It’s just an itsy-bitsy thought. Complicated because changing those thoughts is going to take a bit of awareness on your part, instead of a knee-jerk reaction to whatever is in your sphere at any given moment. Become aware of what you silently and not so silently say. Is it good stuff? Or is it negative talk whether to yourself or to someone else?

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OBSERVATION

The plane was late and the conference session had already begun, so I scrambled to find a seat and get settled in the crowded room. Just as I was focusing on the speaker, a young woman came bustling through the side door and hurriedly sat down beside me. No problem . . . until, she took out her laptop so that all I heard was the noise of fingers on a keyboard instead of the speaker. Aggravated? You bet! I had two choices at that point: move or change the not-so-lovely thoughts I was having about her. A quick look around revealed no empty seats, so it was time for a 180-degree thought adjustment. Breathing deeply, closing my eyes, and relaxing my body provided the physical feeling I needed in order to open the energy of my heart that would change my thoughts. I simply began sending this woman compassion and understanding. She wanted to capture what the speaker was saying as much as I did; her way was as valid as my own; she wasn’t trying to be disruptive, and so on. I continued to send her love and caring for several minutes. And then, I have no idea when it happened but it happened. . . I no longer heard the clickity-clack of the keyboard. And I never was conscious of the fact that I didn’t hear it! It disappeared as quickly as a wispy cloud on a summer breeze. When the break came in the program we began to talk. She was delightful, sweet, and energetic. I adored her! (She hired me after the session and “on the spot” as her coach.)

Because I worked with this woman for some time, we eventually discussed our initial encounter and what had taken place for her. She had had a sense of being an intruder, of the possible disapproval of those around her. Her thoughts had been taken up with bothering/not bothering others with her new laptop. However, after a while she had begun to feel calmer, and had sensed a distinct vibe emanating from me of a “live and let live” attitude, as she put it. She also later remarked that she had known I had made the choice for inner peace.


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QUESTIONS

• Monitor your thoughts for one day. How many of them are negative? How many positive?
• What messages do you give yourself on a regular basis? Good stuff? Bad stuff?
• Whom are you blaming for how you’re feeling?
• What do you need to do to take responsibility?
• Whom do you need to forgive?
• In what small way can you make a choice for inner peace?

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