We are What We Think
I hear it every day. People upset and fed up with certain laws, the crime rate and various other social issues that seem to be at the forefront of the news headlines today.
Judges, with the same legal foundation, vacillate back and forth on key legal decisions that impact the lives of many creating needless turmoil. Politicians go around in circles endlessly debating the same issues that often go unchanged.
For every kidnapper or murderer captured and prosecuted another is waiting in the wings for the right victim to happen along.
We see our fellow humans’ exhibit unbelievable decisions and behaviors in stores, at sporting and entertainment events and even at the drive-in of the local fast food establishment.
People comment online under news stories, videos or in social sites and within minutes they turn their focus to mocking the views of others and eventually, personally attacking and slandering others.
However, after all of the finger pointing the focus is still on the symptoms, the end results and not on the true source at the core of these concerns.
You see, the true concern isn’t in dealing with the result of the crime, the capturing and punishing of someone for the heartbreaking loss of a beautiful gifted person or a precious child whose life has been cut short by a senseless impulsive act.
The actual source is one thing, human thinking.
It’s not the actual crime, but rather that a human being actually held the thought of the crime and accepted it as a reasonable decision and action. Without that thought the crime would never have existed.
Every crime, every law, every political decision, every media report, every vile comment and everything our society is or ever will be is the result of human thinking. Change human thinking; improve the quality of thought based on strong principles and values and the results of collective human thought change.
The solution is not punishment for decision and action, but rather isolating WHY someone would harbor such a thought and define it as acceptable before the decision and action.
Negative behavior and crime are not stopped by laws, history has proven that, but is immediately and irrevocably changed when human thought is cleansed of the need or desire to hold such negativity.
Think about it.
You Are What You Think You Are
During the 1980’s I was busy developing the foundation of Applied Potential Logic (APL). The research pointed to a dual process of clearly defining thought patterns and then refining the matrix of patterns to shape result expectations.
In short, aiming your thinking at specific results like a dart thrown at a board.
Now, we may not be far away from proving that you can indeed control urge and impulse triggers through better thinking.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences supports the concept that redefining thought patterns could help control cravings.
“Most people think that the reason smokers use substances is because of a lack of self-control,” said Kevin Ochsner, associate professor of psychology at Columbia University. “We show they don’t lack it, the problem they have is they may not know what strategy to use.”
People tend to think based on short-term reward and this system of reasoning disconnects long-term comprehension.
Escaping the self-induced trap of short-term satisfaction requires that one consider the long-term impact and consequences during immediate decision making.
The natural survival and comfort traits of the human keep short-term focus in the forefront of your cognition. Looking at current decisions through the long-term lens requires determination and constant readjustment because it is as unnatural as it feels.
The lesson: every time you feel like smoking, eating, drinking or making any decision especially those dealing with wants or desires, step back and take a close unbiased look considering the long-term implications.
Clearer thought better decisions and improved results.
View from the Living Rut
What do you think about every morning when you awake? Are you focused on seeking excellence in the physical, mental and spiritual quality of self and shaping the results of your living experience or do you fall into the same pattern?
An ongoing, slowly changing pattern of doing things and dealing with the circumstances that arise.
Over ninety percent of the people alive today never read a single book regarding self-development during the course of a year.
In fact, people take lessons and training in fitness, music, sports, weight control and just about every concept under the sun except how to improve the quality of living and reach for maximum performance.
What do we hear as the excuse?
It’s not for them, they don’t need it, it won’t work for them and the ever popular, they’re too busy,
Everything you are, everything you do or achieve starts within self.
Spirituality is part of self. Career is an expression of self. Family cannot be supported if self is weak or does not exhibit self-control and everything else you do is colored and influenced by quality of self.
Do yourself a favor and start focusing on quality of self, first and foremost, as a way of improving the results you get in the living experience.
Get out of the doing rut and start living again with the excitement and enthusiasm of a child.
A new life is right at your fingertips if you will only take notice and start to shape it.
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