Recognizing the Power of Thought

Have you ever found yourself so immersed in a situation that you are clueless as to what’s happening around you? The “situation” is intense and it’s stressing you out beyond belief, however, the “situation”is not reality. It’s simply a thought process, a story in your own mind that you have created. It’s a worry, a stressor, a fear about the future, which obviously has not actually taken place. Yet you have invited it into your mental recognition, allowing the “winds of distraction” to wreak havoc on your mental state.  

I think it’s safe to say that we have all been there more times than we would ever wish for. 

Hashem has given us humans the capability to think, to contemplate, to problem solve and to daydream. It is what separates us from other creatures, placing us on a higher spiritual level. Yet Hashem has also granted us the power to control our own thoughts. 

Not only do we have the power to control them, but it is a sin to think negatively and doing so actually blemishes one’s soul. The act of thinking is ranked so spiritually high, that if it is used for negative cognitions it is brought down to a dangerously low level. This can cause a detrimental spiritual effect on one’s soul. Aside from hindering one’s spiritual growth, pessimistic thinking can also damage relationships, and ultimately lead to feelings of despair and hopelessness. 

I didn’t always know this, but once I learned it, I tried a new trick to manage my thoughts so that they don’t ultimately control me. When a thought is teetering on the forefront of my brain, I ask myself the following three questions:

Is it true? 

Is it helpful? 

Is it kind?

If it doesn’t pass this so-called “triple filter test,” then I try to allow it to simply float by, like a cloud,  passing through the ”sky of my mind.” Easy? Not even maybe, however, VERY necessary. It not only keeps me present as to what’s going on around me, but it also limits excess stress, which only signifies a lack of faith.

We all know, now more than ever, how precious, fragile and how fleeting life is. Don’t let negativity get the best of you. Let’s use our unique, powerful human ability to think, to contemplate and to dream in a most positive, uplifting way. Remember that one negative thought can ruin your entire day and worse, it can blemish your soul. 

So the next time you feel the winds of distraction picking up and starting to blow, be very specific about which thoughts you allow to settle in your mind. If it isn’t nice, necessary or true, then just let it blow right by ….as if your soul depended on it….!