Daily Inspiration 7-19-18

"You may believe that

you are responsible for what you do, 

but not for what you think. 

The truth is that you are responsible for what you think
because it is only at this level

that you can exercise choice. 

What you do comes from what you think." 

-- Marianne Williamson 

[Classic post from 5-5-14]

Henry Ford had a famous quote about thinking. He said, "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it." For a long time, I thought he was referring to lazy people--those who don't want much so don't have to give it much thought. I see it so differently now.

Thomas Edison quipped that "Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think, and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think." Both this and the Henry Ford quote seem to speak about people exercising creativity, genius, or at least purpose-driven action as a result of clear thinking. In other words, figuring things out, or brainpower.

Then there is another point of view entirely spoken by master Lao Tzu, where he said, "Stop thinking and end your problems." Eckhart Tolle would most likely agree.

Now, I can tie these divergent views together and have it make sense to me. It is this: So often when I am thinking, I am considering what is as it relates to how it might turn out with multiple scenarios playing through my brain. Many of them are often negative, and then I begin thinking of how to justify things, to the point of even having conversations in my head predicting what the other party may or may not say. This ends with confusion at best and is tiring to consider at all.

I so often want to take charge by trying to figure out how something will change. I think, "what can I do to change this?" or "I need this to change. It isn't working as planned. I need answers now. Let me make a list of things I can do or might do to help make it work better." The trouble with these is that I'm not really in charge of the how part as much as I am in charge of the what part. This is exactly where the thinking comes to bear.

Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and many others have explained that so many of us don't think, and now I know that they meant something different. We don't visualize, or create a mental image and consider with a sense of certainty that we can actually choose what we want. The truth is that we can; however, we most often do not, and rather than think in this way, we engage in a whole lot of mindless thinking that leads us nowhere.

Of all the things that I have considered in life, actually deciding exactly what I really want is the most challenging. The second most challenging aspect is to believe I can have this and persist in seeing it completed in my mind's eye long before it actually becomes reality. These are the thinking aspects of manifestation; of performance; of accomplishment; of greatness.

Lao Tzu hit it on the head in that we so often are thinking of our problems or potential problems, and most of our perceived problems never actually happen, yet they take up much energy and focus. Remaining present, focusing on the moment, while knowing what we would like to have, believing it is possible, and then allowing the infinite power of God or the Universe to bring it about is the thinking that will move mountains.

I know where I need to focus my thinking: Choosing what I want every single day, believing I can have what I want, seeing it already accomplished, enjoying the present fully, and allowing God or the Universe to deal with all the rest.


"Magic Is The Art Of Thinking, Not Strength Or Language." -- Christopher Paolini 

Spread Some Joy Today--Consider the possibilities as if it were absolutely impossible to fail and you have all the assistance you could ever need or want.