Glenn Stewart Coles, 9251 Yonge Street, Suite 8-924, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, L4C 9T3
Text Box: At any moment in time, our minds are full of thoughts. Unless we have mastered the skill of meditation and shutting down the mind, there is always synaptic activity. Sometimes the thoughts in our heads roll simply and easily, while at other times our minds are firing on all cylinders. Our thoughts affect our emotions, and our emotions affect our thoughts. From our brain activity comes all of the experiences in our physical existence. There are three types of thoughts that we tend to experience. The most critical, and often the least common, is focus on the moment of now. Our awareness of our surroundings, our perceptions of our environment, and the choices that we make are all driven by experience. We see what we have been trained to see, we hear what we want to hear, and we feel based on what we believe we are experiencing. In all cases, our angle of perception is only one of many, and may be misguided. To truly be in the moment, we must release expectations and judgment. Thoughts of the past tend to be analytical, and often evoke feelings. As we remember certain events, we fill in extreme details and awaken feelings. What we remember may not be the complete truth, and may actually be far from what really happened. As we sift through the highlights of our lives, what we choose to remember shapes our feelings and decisions. When you think of past relationships, do you remember all the times of happiness, or the few times of pain? When you think of past performance, do you recall all the times you were successful, or the few times that you failed? How we choose to remember the past is never the complete story. Thoughts of the future are based on expectations, anticipation, fears and desires. Nothing is written in stone, and we always have influence on what will happen next. Even in situations where it appears we have no control, we are always in charge of our thoughts. When we consider upcoming situations, do we think of all the bad things that can happen, or do we create positive energy by visualizing success? Like the little train that could, we tend to fulfill our expectations. Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right. While every circumstance is unique, the tendency to be optimistic or pessimistic becomes habitual. Always seeing the bright side of life may keep you in a happy mode, but can also lead one to overlook the downfall of certain situations. Conversely, always seeing dark clouds may leave one grumpy and unsatisfied, yet may also introduce key elements of information that affect decision-making. There is no right or wrong in how you think, only tendencies that shape your life. Rather than judging your particular thought patterns, it is more productive to simply increase awareness. How do you react to certain stimuli? When your thinking goes on a tangent, what were your triggers and what direction do you take your thoughts? When you remember past events or the people in your life, does your mood shift towards joy or anger? When you think of future potentialities, do you feel excited or depressed? Whatever moods you have manifested, it is important to realize that none of it is real. At the same time, we must also recognize that all feelings are correct based on the information we have, and to change feelings requires new information and new perceptions. It is always easier to recognize thought-patterns of other people. Since anyone else’s thoughts provide contrast to our own, we tend to make judgments. As we learn to understand the workings of our mind, it is important to recognize that judgment is based on feelings, values and past experience. By maintaining awareness of your thoughts and how they are created, you take a major step towards creating the world that you wish to create. © Copyright Glenn Stewart Coles, 2006 First Published December 10, 2006

Subscribe to

Weekly Inspirations

Internal Creation

 

From our brain activity comes all of the experiences of our physical existence.