Your thoughts will determine your direction in life…I learned this firsthand.
One beautiful day, many years ago, my friend Dennis and I decided to go golfing. I was not a very good golfer but I enjoyed the game and the company so I agreed to go. I should have seen the signs as my first 10 shots were terrible. I woofed a few, not even making contact with the ball. I hit a few into the woods, and a few of them went only a few feet in front of me. After getting the hint that this was not my day, (pretty much like every other golfing day for me) and nearing the end of the 9th hole, I was about to give up. But I had finally hit a shot straight down the fairway so I thought that maybe the tables might turn in my favor. We pulled up to the ball for my second shot. My friend Dennis dropped me off at my ball and drove the cart ahead of me. He was a little off to the left of my shot and about 40 yards ahead of me. Even though I was not aiming in his direction I knew he was in the danger zone, so I yelled at him to move over more to the left. He obliged and moved the cart, but I still had a feeling. You know the feeling, it was the, “what could go wrong probably will go wrong” feeling. Trying to ignore the thoughts of drilling him with my shot I approached the ball to swing. When I went into my backswing I still had the lingering thought of, “what if I hit him in the cart?” But I tried to convince myself he was WAY out of range for that. Well…I swung, made perfect contact with the ball, and it sailed off my club at about 150mph straight towards Dennis. He had his back to me with his right arm propped up on the passenger seat watching me with his head turned back. When he saw that little white ball flying towards a direct hit on him, his eyes were the size of basketballs. He folded up into a fetal position with his arms over his head and knees to his chest. The ball hit the cart and bounced around about 20 times before making a dead stop, disappearing from my sight. I thought I had killed my friend so I took off running towards him to check on the damage. As I approached he was laughing so hard he couldn’t breath. When I got to the cart he was pointing towards his backside since he couldn’t compose himself. I looked down and the ball was resting perfectly between his belt and where the good Lord split ya’. I couldn’t believe my eyes, for many reasons! After finding out he was ok, I yelled, “I’m playing it from where it lies!”
The story illustrates a point…where your focus goes, your energy flows. I just knew in my mind that I was going to hit my friend when I swung that club. The whole time I kept thinking thoughts of the ball shooting straight towards him, and guess what…it did. What you think about tends to manifest itself. Your thoughts determine your direction.
It is impossible to act in a way that is inconsistent with the way you see yourself. How you see yourself, is how you approach life. If you believe you can’t get ahead then chances are you never will, however if you believe you can get ahead chances are you probably will. So goes your thinking so goes your actions. One of the most powerful verses in the Bible is this…
Proverbs 23:7
As he thinks in his heart, so is he.
What is in your heart is what will guide you. If fear, doubt, and unbelief are in your heart then you will act accordingly. If faith, trust, and hope are in your heart you will act according to it. People are not a product of their environment, they are a product of their thinking. Your thinking will either drive you to push on or hold you back in discouragement. It is up to you. You can choose to be a victim or a victor in your circumstances. The way you think will determine the way you live. Author James Allen said,
“You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.”
If one can get control of their thoughts they will get control of their future. What happens in your life is not a random outcome, it is a result of your thinking. Your thinking will direct what you pursue or what you won’t pursue. If one does not believe they can change their circumstances they simply will not try to. If you believe something is beyond your ability, you will not reach for it. This topic of thoughts controls every area of someone’s life. I cannot stress enough that what you think you can do is what you will do.
So how does one think the right way?
1. Fill Your Mind With The Thoughts You Want To Think
In order to train your thinking you have to surround yourself with good thoughts. You surround yourself with good thoughts by reading challenging books, listen to challenging messages, and get around uplifting people. Always fill your mind with nutritious thoughts, just like you would food. If you fill your body with junk food you are going to get sick. However, if you fill your body with healthy food you will feel better and have more energy. Our thoughts are the same. We have to fill our mind with healthy thoughts daily!
2. Differentiate Good Thoughts From Bad Thoughts
Be aware of what you are thinking. Don’t accept negative, self-destructive, and fearful thoughts. There is no fruit in negative thoughts about yourself and others. Quit thinking the worst and start thinking the best! Know when your mind is thinking thoughts that are unfruitful by paying attention to them. Don’t go on autopilot and let your mind wander in the land of negativity, it leads to nowhere! Cast down bad thoughts and reject them from your thinking.
3. Think Good Thoughts Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
Don’t let circumstances determine the way you think, let the way you think determine the circumstances. You can either throw your arms up in the air when things don’t go your way, or you can speak life and focus on the good. This sounds cute, but it is literally life changing if you can do it! No matter what is happening around you don’t let it mess your thinking up. Keep your thoughts always pointed true north in your faith, even when your feelings don’t line up. I know this sounds strange but it is part of training your brain to think the way you want it to not the way it is conditioned to.
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