THE POWER OF THOUGHT
I adore words. They have so much potential. When arranged with intention they have the power to bring change, break our hearts, and create joy. Words are also very personal, meaning much more to one of us than another. Think about how lyrics of a song may bring you to tears, while your friend sits with you and mindlessly sings right through it.
My love of words has turned me into a quote junky. I am delighted by these short phrases that can make me think completely differently or speak straight to my heart and validate my feelings. The first Pinterest board I ever created, and still my most favorite, is the one I entitled, “Spoke to me.” This growing collection of quotes (1200+) comes from books, songs, religious leaders, political leaders, artists, teachers, dreamers, the anonymous and the unknown. I enjoy using quotes to start or finish a presentation, share with my coaching clients or on my Instagram to get people thinking.
I am tickled pink when a historical or ancient quote brings clarity and awareness to us in the present day. “Live life as if everything was rigged in your favor.” was penned by Persian Poet Rumi in the 13th century. What Rumi wrote about over 700 years ago, directly aligns with the concept I’d like to remind you of today: our thoughts have a direct impact on the outcome of our days. The thoughts we form around our circumstances, stir up emotions, and these feelings have a direct impact on our actions, that will or will not lead us to reaching our goals. Words are at the top of this chain reaction, or as Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right.” Regardless of circumstance, if you truly believe that you will succeed, you will feel unstoppable, you make courageous moves and even your wildest of dreams will come true.
When we find ourselves disappointed with our current status and feeling defeated or depressed, we have to return to the beginning, and reconsider our line of thinking. It’s one of my favorite privileges as a coach to walk with my clients as they revise their limited thinking towards a more empowering thought that better prepares them to fight for the life they long for.
While searching for a new personal mantra for a certain situation, we need to make sure a few things check out to assure it is the right one for us. First we need to truly believe what it means. Next, we want it to match who we are, we want it to speak to us personally. If we pick one that sounds good to others, but not to us, it won’t have the same effect. Lastly, since thoughts lead to feelings, it’s important to check in on how it makes us feel. It should stir us on the inside, give us the “shot to the heart” (Yes, I did just sneak in a Bon Jovi quote) that will propel us towards taking action to get us on our way to our personal promised lands.
We have the power to choose our line of thinking each and every day. To show you how it works, here are a few of my current go-tos for certain situations:
When it seems impossible: “We can do hard things.” - Glennon Doyle
When I want to be in two places at once: “Wherever you are, be all there.” - Jim Elliott
When I am afraid to make a move: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” - Wayne Gretzke
When feeling stuck: “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” - Wayne Dyer
When I am feeling bullied: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” - Elenore Roosevelt
When I am am about to flip my lid: “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.” - Jesus Christ
Remember this my friends: our thoughts create our emotional energy which fuels our actions that take us where we want to go. So go on and get your mind right.
Along with quotes, Matty has also enjoys a kitschy reminder such as “lefty loosey, righty tighty” to help her navigate life’s little challenges. If you have a favorite quote you would like to share with Matty, connect with her here.
