ok, so I say it again

I spoke to many people last night, and it seems they all needed to hear the same thing. So I’ll say it again:

It’s not what you THINK that will determine your path
It’s not what you SAY that will determine your path
It’s what you HEAR yourself SAY that will determine your path

but, since we speak what we think, it’s easier to capture the negatives before they leave your mind and get made into words, whether actually voiced or not.

An example may help..
I see something that scares me

I think “oh dear this beat me last time, I won’t be able to manage this time”
= result: no change to your physical – it’s just a thought

I formulate thought into words; whether they are voiced through your mouth or not; they have taken on a physical shape (items made up of alphabetic soup recognisable to your mind)

In these words I express doubt at my ability, and I voice that doubt. As I am the highest authority in my life, I listen to what I say, and I act on what I hear. My pulse quickens, and I go into fight or flight mode. I allow myself to become smaller than the problem and as a result, I “allow” my hands to weaken.

The result is that I prove that what I voiced I am able to achieve. I voiced the belief that I would not be able to achieve this, and now I have proved that I am not able to do this. Therefore I have assured myself that I am in control.

The answer?

Train yourself (ie not an overnight event, but one that certainly gets easier with practice) to capture thoughts.

Build in a filter system that takes an objective look at who you are, not an emotive view. All humans have good, indifferent, and truly disgusting sides. You are no different. Accept this as reality, work on the bad points, encourage yourself on the good points, and try to weed out the indifferent, apathetic points. Oh, and go easy on yourself, you’re the only you you have!

Only choose filters that will leave you a better person in the end even if the path there may hurt – growth only happens through pain. Pain is the motivating force behind all humanchange (otherwise why not stay the same?).

A stronger “you”, with a balanced, objective view of who you are, and what you, aided by your faith, are capable of achieving, will look at the same scary situation and realise

• there are things you are able to do
• there are things you may need to ask advice on
• everything doesn’t have to happen immediately
• bad times happen, but friends help the situation – talk it over with someone

A stronger “you” will be able to filter the thoughts, identify what needs to be done, and plan how you can achieve this. The plan can, and should, be broken down into manageable, achievable points that can be ticked off as they are accomplished. Ticking off accomplished points makes one feel (emotion) progress – this encourages you. The plan is achievable, and therefore the panic that the problem brought melts away like the morning mist.

A stronger “you” will find that there are some things that all of you, and all of the wisdom of humanity, cannot conquer. A stronger “you” will be “man enough” to admit this, realising that no man is an island and that we’re built for teamwork. A stronger “you” will realise that it is not a sign of weakness to acknowledge that some amazing being created the world in all its perfection. A stronger “you” is not made weaker by asking for a better way.

Be careful what you let yourself hear what you say.

Do not let your hands be weak!