As a human being we store many thoughts. New thoughts are constantly being formed we can't help it. Usually I don't know how to interpret anything I feel because I just feel so jumbled all the time. There are thoughts bombarding us daily from different places. Good thoughts, uplifting ones even. Ones that motivate, encourage and possibly inspire. But then confusion tends to set in when the good is conflicted with negative, bad, and discouraging thoughts.
I think just being consciously aware of the two sources of thought can really make all the difference. Realizing that everything unfavorable stems from the adversary-our number one cheerleader for failure and misery. We all have days i'm sure where the whole worlds seems to be against us. I remember one day over the summer when I was laying in my friends bed in tears, crying to her. I hadn't the slightest idea of why I was crying until it hit me. I was about to embark on something very spiritually uplifting and Satan was trying to get me down. He threw at me every discouraging thought in the book. And they were entering far faster then my little brain had capacity to process. Once I remembered that big bully I was able to fully open up a channel to positive thoughts. And remember all the good and positive things I had once felt instead of failure and discouragement.
Just a couple of nights ago I was walking home from campus. It was 8:30 pm and I was finally done for the day which started exactly 12 hours earlier with a one hour break in the middle. When I was just about home I so casually thought that I should stop by and see friends who live very close to my apartment.(we used to be neighbors and now I don't get to see them very often.) Then almost immediately my idea was spoiled by "but it's been a long day and I should just go home" That thought was accompanied by feelings of self pity. Like I "should" be in a bad/complaining mood just because it's been a long day. WHY? I thought for a minute.Those thoughts of "woe me" crept in but I was able to push them out. My day was good, it was great in fact and I wasn't going to let something as insignificant as a teeny tiny negative thought turn that sour. Guess what! Taking ten minutes to stop by was completely worth it. It left me feeling even better and hopefully they were able to recognize my genuine concern for them. I felt that it was reciprocated and that's why I left having an even better day.
Positive thoughts will lead to positive actions and positive outcomes. I think that sometimes our postive thoughts seem too casual and unimportant sometimes in comparison to the negative, self belittling ones that too often creep in and spoil the goods. All it takes is a little nudge to those mean little guys or even a firm GET OUT and STAY OUT!
and because my favorite blogger once said "every blog post deserves a picture" here is a little TBT to that one time I worked at fat kid camp.
I recently read something along these same lines on a blog...I'm paraphrasing - God has a plan for me, but so does the other guy...You just need to recognize who is who, and which plan you want to follow. I liked that. :)
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