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HOW TO PROCESS THOUGHTS

Would you use something if you didn’t know why you were using it, what purpose it served, or if it was good for you or not?  So then why do we think its ok to leave our thoughts unmonitored?  Understand why you are having the thoughts you are having so you can transmute them into thoughts that align with our best self. 

I am not suggesting that you obsessively think.  Quite the contrary.  I am suggesting that you consciously choose the thoughts you think and how much you think.    This takes a little bit of practice and then it will become automatic.  The outcome will be that you have less thoughts and the thoughts you do have are in a vibration that is in your highest good.  Who doesn’t want that?

You can reduce needless and obsessive thinking by creating boundaries about thinking.  Create boundaries that align with the life you want to lead.  When will you think?  What is worthy of thinking about? How long will you allow yourself to think?  For example, choosing 15 minutes each morning to really think about an issue prevents it from popping up as a thought throughout the day.  Set a timer, think about whatever you choose.  When the time goes up stop thinking about it and move on with your day knowing you can think about it again tomorrow for another 15 minutes. 

Begin by recognizing the gap between what you expect and reality.  Understand that the gap is filled with emotions that are sending messages to you about what you are thinking. All you have to do is be open to receive the message.

Unrealistic expectations that may be sabotaging you.  Expectations are attachments to specific outcomes. Unrealistic expectations set the stage for negative emotion to show up.   Expectations look alot like core beliefs.  We expect people to be on time.  We expect them to be appreciative of our efforts.  We expect our partners to treat us with respect.

Just because we expect these things, doesn’t mean that they happen.  

There are many ways to assess our thoughts. We can look at our thoughts to see where our expectations are setting us up for disappointment.  We can evaluate our thoughts to determine if they resulted in actions that served our highest good.  We can evaluate our thoughts by the emotions they evoke.

Begin by being as present, grounded and aware as possible in any given moment.  Set the intention to focus expansive energy on your thought processes.  Affirm the intention to think thoughts that serve your highest good.  You can intend to see what you need to see, know what you need to know and hear what you need to hear.  This opens your energy to receive information.  The messages may come from within like a sudden thought, or from outside of you from something you see, read or hear.  Intend to be a nonjudgmental observer of your thoughts, allowing your thoughts to flow.

Tune into your thoughts.  What were you thinking just before you brought awareness to your thought?  Notice the difference in your thoughts before and after you brought awareness to them.  You may choose to visualize shining a bright light on your thought, a signal that you are exposing the thought for examination.

Now consider this thought or any other recurring thoughts you may have.  Consider the circumstances around the thought.  Why did you have the thought?  What purpose did the thought serve?  What was the outcome of the thought?  Was it a reactive or responsive outcome?  Even an outcome of nothing is an outcome.  Could there have been a better or worse outcome?  Do you notice any patterns or themes in your thinking?  Is there a topic or specific thought you are having repeatedly?  If so, when did this pattern begin?  When do you have this thought?  What is the general message of the thought?  

Assess the quality of your thought.  How does your thought feel?  Is it heavy or light?  Is it friendly or unfriendly?  Does it expand or contract you?  Think of some words to describe how the thought makes you feel.   

Now that you really know the thought you are having, ask the thought something like “what are you communicating to me?”  

Deep down inside of you you know what it is communicating.  The knowledge might be buried behind defensive walls or emotional pain.  Keep asking the thought why until you get to the root of the thought.

Here you may need to be patient.  The answer might not show itself right away, or it could be the next thought you have or one later on.  The answer may come in the form of a billboard or something you overhear someone say.  Be open to the many ways the information can show up.

It might look something like this:  the thought feels like fear, but you don’t know what you are afraid of.  So you ask why fear?  Then you might know you are afraid of failing.  Ask why again.  Because I am afraid people won’t like me if I fail.  Why?  Because believing that is easier than trying and failing.  Why?  Because if I fail no one will like me.  Why?  Because I am a people pleaser.  Why?  Because I don’t know how to love myself first.  

The solution is to learn how to love yourself and to really tune into your thinking each time you are in a position where you people please instead of risking not being liked.  The most important aspect of this is to be grounded, present and aware of your thoughts in the moment.  In the moment is where the most opportunities lie to raise the vibration of your thoughts.  

You can also look for the lesson.  What lesson might you be working on when you have recurring thoughts that are based on fear of no one liking you?  It could be you are learning about self worth.  You can look for patterns in your thinking where you are not recognizing your own value.

Once you have taken all you can from a thought, thank the thought and release it.  Let it go. 

Use these steps to assess limiting thoughts that you have until you get to the root of the core belief that is behind the thought you are having.  

Take some time to practice these skills until they become habitual.  It will happen faster than you realize once you set your intention.  The goal is to recognize and evaluate the thought in the moment.  The thought can then be acted upon and released.  

You can create thinking strategies.  Something very simple like:

1. Evaluate the thought.  If it feels expansive, embrace it and move on.  If it feels limited, keep evaluating it.

2. Recognize what triggered the thought.

3. Identify the expectation behind the thought.

4. Compare the expectation to reality.

5. Recognize the limiting belief attached to your expectation.

6. Release the limiting belief.

7. Reach for a more expansive thought.

Think thoughts that serve your highest good.  Too many of us are stuck in low vibrational thought patterns that keep us stuck and prevent us from living in our potential.  Set the intention to become more aware of the thoughts that you are allowing yourself to think.

Disclosure

These blogs are written from my personal perspective.  I have over thirty years of experience investigating, counseling, assessing and understanding the nature of humans.  I look forward to creating a connection with you and sharing reciprocal positive experiences, comments and feedback about your life experiences and opportunities for growth.  Please feel free to comment below.  Positive comments only please.