I hold it true that thoughts are things;
They’re endowed with bodies, breath and wings;
and that we send them forth to
Fill the world with good results, or ill.

That which we call our secret thought
Speeds forth to earth’s remotest spot,
Leaving its blessing or its woes
Like tracks behind it as it goes.

We build our future, thought by thought,
For good or ill, yet know it not.
Yet, so the universe was wrought.

Henry Van Dyke

As the poem states there is nothing that happens in your world without it first being born as a thought. Your life is the result of the thoughts you paint in your mind that then manifest themselves in reality on the canvas of life. The simplest events are thought out before they are carried through. They are so simple that at times they seem automatic such as dressing, bathing, eating and drinking. This is the precise reason why conscious thought is so important. Every moment you tell yourself what to think, how to act, how to talk. There is actually nothing that happens that was not first a thought. Once you understand this there is no room for anything except taking full responsibility for who you are in every aspect of your life. There are a number of examples that demonstrate the power of the mind over the body like placebo drugs, self-hypnosis and self-healing. There are numerous stories about individuals who were told that they could not be healed through conventional methods, so they healed themselves. We do not yet know the full power of the mind. It is said that we only use about 10 percent of it. It is not always important to know how something works, only to know that it does and utilize it.

“The consummate truth of life is that we
alter our destiny by altering our thoughts. The mind is our most crucial resource, our crowning asset, our ultimate arena of battle.”

Let us begin by looking at a few suggestions for influencing your thoughts. To regulate your thoughts you must be the gatekeeper that is accountable for information entering and leaving the brain. There are a number of ways to train the gatekeeper; visualization, meditation, reading, listening to audiotapes, personal associations and your time alone.

Visualization is the process of previewing an event in your mind. If you take notice there are always thoughts running through your mind. This is the exercise where you actually choose what they are. First, think of what you want to create (in the future) and write it down on paper. Then set time aside each day where you not only read it out loud to yourself but you mentally visualize it or “play it out” in your mind.

Meditation is being present to who you are, what you are doing, where you are in each moment. Stop and look at life from an objective viewpoint. One way to do this is to ask yourself throughout the day, “Where are my feet?” This will help focus your attention and make you think. For example, my feet are in the USA, in the state of Arizona, in the city of Mesa, in the front yard of my house on Power Road, on August 2, 1999 at 3:00 PM, at the turn of the 21st century, trimming the bushes with an electric weed eater, etc. You begin to be thankful for being an American, living in a state that enjoys 360 days of sunshine, living in a safe community, being thankful for my family and wondering how humanity ever got along without electricity. WOW!

Read books that will challenge you to think in new ways. Read a book on a subject that you may not agree with. The best way to establish your own beliefs is to discover what they are not. A preacher once told his congregation to stop playing safe by only spending time with other Christians. If you want to find out about being Christian spend time with people who are not.

Listening to audio tapes is another way to venture out into a new and unknown world. There are tapes available on the 100 greatest people, the 100 greatest books, world history or any other topic you can think of. Choose information that is outside your normal preferences or something you think you would never understand. If you like non-fiction, listen to fiction. If you don’t know anything about physics, check it out.

Association is a conscious choice of whom you spend your time (life) with. Each time that you spend time with someone, stop and listen to what they’re saying and look at what they’re doing. Ask yourself, “Does this person have a sincere commitment to grow?” It’s a universal law that nothing is at rest; it’s either expanding or contracting. If you wish to accomplish your life’s mission or goal you must be with other individuals that are on a similar path. Choose your friends and associates wisely.

Time Alone is a gift that you give yourself. Everything else we’ve discussed so far could be done in the company of another person. This one is the exception. Time alone means exactly that. Whether you go for long walks in the forest or have a special place that you can go - it’s a time that you can escape and reflect on your life. You don’t have to do anything or bring anything. Be with yourself in conversation. From spending this time alone strength, peace and inner balance will come.



Media: Remember information that is mass-produced is invested in producing a specific mindset or result. Therefore, limit the amount of time you watch television, listen to the radio and read the papers. We have a friend whose young child asked why television was free and he answered by saying because they’re selling you something. They’re selling not only on the commercials but in the programs and songs as well. If the message presented is not useful or beneficial to you then stop participating.