We Are Smarter Than Our Thoughts
Have you ever felt really bad about something you did? Have you felt like you tried to resist temptation but you failed? Good news! You can resist temptation! The reason that you can resist temptation is that you are smarter than your thoughts. Your thoughts are just a part of you. Just like you can control the movement of your body, you can control what you think about.
Have you ever told anyone, “Hey, you are smarter than you think you are?” Of course you have! Well, it’s true. We are smarter than we think we are and we are certainly smarter than our thoughts. That is just what temptation is. Temptation is our thoughts telling us that we ought to do something that we really shouldn’t do. Instead of trying to avoid temptation, realize that it is just your thoughts and you can control your thoughts. What are some ways to control your thinking?
Well that’s something that you do with practice. You have to train yourself to think differently. There are books on this subject, websites as well as other resources. We can control temptations by pre-thinking or preparing what we will do when we have these “tempting” thoughts. Here are some thoughts on how to begin to train your brain:
One way to prepare is through words. Write down the opposite of whatever your thought is and the reason. For example, if you are thinking about eating a piece of chocolate cake. Write down, “I will not eat a piece of chocolate cake right now because I want to feel good about what I have eaten at the end of the day.” Another example is if you are out shopping and see a dress you feel like you need to buy, write down (or say) “I will not buy that dress right now because I may need that money later this week for groceries.”
Another way to resist temptation is through actions. If you walk into the kitchen wanting something to eat, instead of reaching in the cabinet for cookies, reach in the fridge for fruit. When you are in the mall shopping for gifts for others and you walk into a store where you see something you just have to have, walk out of that store and go somewhere else first.
Finally, if there is something that is a really bad habit that you want to overcome like overeating, drinking or smoking, then you may have to write down a plan of action that will help you when you begin to feel like you need that drink or smoke. What other things can you do instead of eating too much? Search the web, take up a hobby, start a puzzle…anything to occupy your mind for a while until that temptation passes.
Remember, practice makes perfect! Don’t beat yourself up if you fail a few times. It will be an ongoing process to train yourself to think differently. You may want to write down a plan of action for when you start to get down when you feel like you have failed at something. A good plan is to make a list of what you are grateful for. Another plan is to see what you learned from your mistakes and write a blog or write in your journal about it.
The main thing is to know that you are smarter than you think! Temptation is in the mind and you can control your thoughts! It takes training and discipline but just like everything else, it is definitely possible! Now that you know you are smarter than your thoughts, “think” about having a great day!
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