I wasn’t a believer.  There.  I said it.  Whew.

And like many of you, I was stuck in rut I didn’t even know I was in.

Let’s be honest for a change.  When was the last time you gave an honest confession?  When you bared more than you thought you ever would, feeling uncomfortable the entire time?  When was the last time you were true to what your heart told you, instead of being led by the outside influences that bombard us daily?  When was the last time we saw the power in the way we think about our life, those around us, and the world?

When was the last time you took a long, hard look at the thoughts you manifest?

Yeah…that’s what I thought.

So, where do we get our thoughts?  Do they come from TV, books, or other people?  Do we become corrupted in not only what we think but also the way we think because of those influences?  Why are we giving away our most powerful tool to something that does more harm than good?  Do we understand how simple it is to harness the power of how we think and change what we believe and what we do?

I tell people all the time, [bctt tweet=””Change the way you think and you will change what you do.” “]

That is easier said than done.

You know it and I know it.

That is our biggest hurdle and yet the greatest catalyst of growth we could ever imagine.  Nothing great is ever achieved without first being a thought.  Steve Jobs did not just make the iPhone — he first had to envision it.  Walt Disney did not show in Anaheim with a shovel and start building Tomorrow Land — he first imagined it.  There is power in thought and our mind has an endless supply of creativity, genius, and inspiration that we never use to its fullest potential.

Instead, we camouflage our insecurities with fear, doubt, and criticism that comes from within and from others as well.  We down play our ability to use our minds to realize that we have the ability to make something better.  Yet we choose not to and find any reason that sounds good to anyone that will listen.

We make excuses time after time.  We give in well before we should.  We say what everyone expects us to say.  And we walk away, shrugging off any real responsibility for what did or did not happen.  We look to others for permission and allow things to unfold as if we have no control over what happens next.  We forgo the decisions that we can make through choice and free will.  We discount small things as meaningless and come to believe that fighting the battle just isn’t worth it.

Again, I ask, why?

When will we realize that the result is not what people remember for years to come?  They remember the battle.

When will we appreciate that not everything is handed to us…that we must do something with the opportunities given to us?

When will we learn to use different words in our thinking and verbally?  Because what think, we say.

It is easy to rewire a brain to think completely differently?  No.  Is it possible?  Yes.

How do I know?

Because it happened to me.  In some ways, I cannot explain it.  In other ways, it makes perfect sense.  You see, for most of my life, I did not believe that anything mattered.  I did what I needed to do to survive and exist.  I never wanted to stand out from the crowd and still shun from any attention to this day.  I was less than optimistic about most things, but when I believed in something (even if it was as simple as falling in love with my husband almost 30 years ago), I couldn’t shake it.  And without warning or pretense, something made me hold on.

And that little spark changed everything.  But mostly, it changed how I thought about life.  In an instant, I was morphed into someone who I never existed.  I no longer lived afraid, hesitant, or doubtful.

Do you believe in the power of changing the way you think?  You should.

It is the fundamental stimulant to everything else.  Nothing changes before we believe something should change.  Innovation does not happen without thought.  Imagination and creativity are pivotal in guiding us to places we have yet to travel, things we have yet to build, and people we have yet to meet.

And there is a direction relation between good thoughts and good acts (and vice versa). Negativity, hatred, and bitterness are already running rampant around this world.  But we can stop that.  We can prevent the spread of the disease of anger and hostility.  But to do that, we must want it to stop.  And that wanting comes from within…where our greatest power resides.

What will YOU do to change the way you think?  How will that effect how you behave?  We all have choices to make.  Decide that you no longer are willing to be where you are so that you can get to where you want to be.  Use everything you can to make this world better…because we need as much help as we can get.  Greatness comes from one thought.  And someone believed enough in it to do something. That someone is YOU.

Michelle A. Homme 2015 ©