As I read Martha Beck’s column in the most recent Oprah magazine, I was reminded once again of the importance of monitoring our thoughts. As Mike Dooley, www.tut.com, reminds us, “thought become things – choose the good ones”. So what do you do when a less than perfect thought comes bubbling up, apparently out of no where. What do you do when you become aware of these thought forms?
According to the new research emerging on neuroplasticity, spearheaded by folks like Jill Bolte Taylor (My Stroke of Insight), you have 90 seconds to re-program that thought.
WOW – only 90 seconds?
Actually 90 seconds is longer than you might think. First of all it gives you times to become aware of the thought, second it gives you time to shake hands with it, acknowledge it, and recognize that it is way less than perfect. Finally you have the opportunity to call into your awareness a more perfect thought. You get to do what I call ‘flip-it’.
What does that look like. If you find yourself in anger, resentment or judgment, ask yourself, ‘How would I rather feel?”
The answer may be something like, “I want to be in joy, peace or ease, perhaps even gratitude.”
The process then goes like this:
- recognize the thought roaming around in your head.
- assess how it makes you feel
- discern if that’s really where you want to play
- shake hands with the devilish thoughts – do NOT dismiss it
- be clear on where you would rather be/play
- re-program the thought.
After 90 seconds, if you stay with the thought forms that do not serve you, they are registered in the brain. My best advice, confront, flip and shift – in the long run this will serve you as it will be the new thought form, the one that serves you and helps you to be positive, which will be registered.
This is some food for thought (no pun intended) don’t you think?
Until next time…
Betty