If you think you can do a thing, or you think you can't do a thing, you're right.

- Henry Ford

It is estimated that the average person thinks about 1000 thoughts per hour. Furthermore, it is estimated that the number of POSSIBLE thoughts per hour, based on brain activity calculations, could be as high as 36,000 thoughts per waking hour and 3,600 per sleeping hour, for a maximum of 604,800 thoughts per day. Staggering!

The question is: what kind of thoughts are these?

Thoughts come in many forms. Here are just a few:
facts, observations, ideas, theories, questions, beliefs, statements, assumptions, interpretations, criticisms, affirmations, praise, blame, judgments, prayer, fantasy, images.

What other forms can you name?

More to the point, what is the composition of your thoughts each day? Do your thoughts serve you, or do they stand in your way?

Which types of thoughts might you choose to have more of, or less of, in order to improve the quality of your life?

In the following articles, we will

• Take a look at words – the building blocks of thought – and identify some that are empowering and others that are clearly dis-empowering.
• Explore beliefs in more detail. Beliefs are thought- forms that have the potential to either empower or limit us, depending on which ones we choose. And choice is crucial in harnessing the power of our thoughts.
• And, finally, we will take a look at the power of no-thought, or silence.

Be intentional about your word choices. Words – the building blocks of thought – have power, and they can either serve us or sabotage us (or others).

Here is my very short list of words to eliminate from our vocabularies, along with suggested words to use instead.

Eliminate: can’t, cannot
Replace with: I can

Eliminate: try
Replace with: I will, I intend

Eliminate: should
Replace with: I could, I want, I choose

Eliminate: always, never
Replace with: sometimes, often, frequently, rarely, usually, occasionally

Which word(s) might be holding you back?

Here’s my challenge: Pick one of the above words- to- eliminate and remove it from your vocabulary for the next week. Substitute one of the suggested empowering words instead.

Watch what happens.

“Beliefs are not facts. Beliefs are ideas we hold, which are not grounded with evidence or proof. Some beliefs support us and expand our sense of the possibilities available to us. These are empowering beliefs. Other beliefs do not support us and limit our ability to achieve the results we want in our lives. These are limiting beliefs. The process of overcoming obstacles and moving through blocks includes confronting our limiting beliefs and converting them into empowering beliefs.”*

Core beliefs are the most powerful. These are the ones that speak to the very essence of who we are. And often, these are ones we created early in childhood, before our brains were fully formed and we had the ability to evaluate these beliefs objectively.

Some examples of limiting core beliefs are: I am unlovable; I’m stupid or not capable; I can’t do anything right; people can’t be trusted; the world is a dangerous place; I’m not good enough.

Some examples of empowering core beliefs are: I am loveable; I am capable; I am talented; I am pretty/handsome; I can do whatever I put my mind to; it's OK to make mistakes - I can learn from them; most people can be trusted; the world is a safe place.

Do you know what your core beliefs are? If so, do they support you or hold you back?

*Excerpt from Komack, Connie, “Examining Your Beliefs”, Designing Your Life: A Life/Work Empowerment Program, page 63.

This coming weekend, I will be participating in a silent retreat. I am going with the intention of learning how to create silence, or stillness, in my mind in order to increase my capacity for creativity and for receiving messages from my Muse or Higher Coach or Inner Wisdowm or Higher Power – whatever those high-quality thoughts might be named or sourced from.

Silence is the space between thoughts, in the same way that a rest is the space between musical notes. It is the silence that gives both thought and music their shape and their power.

When our minds are buzzing with a lot of thought activity, there is very little room for any new information to come in. It is as if this new information is dialing into our brains and receiving a busy signal. If we want to receive that new information – perhaps inspiration, or insight, or wisdom, or a new creation, or the answer to a prayer – we need to learn how to clear the line and open up to this new input. The path to doing this is through silence. And one of the primary techniques for doing this is through meditation.

Is your mind chatter so intense that it creates a constant busy signal? If so, activities such as meditation, chanting, or intentionally going into silence can help.

How might learning to silence your mind on occasion be of benefit to you?

If you live locally and are interested in this subject, you might want to attend one of these two presentations by Connie on The Power of Thought:

Wedesday, May 24: York, Maine
IPPW Lunch With a Mission series, sponsored by Debby Hoffman of Positive Results Seminars
Place: Fazio's Italian Restaurant, 38 Woodbridge Road
Time: 11:30am - 1:30pm

Thursday, June 22: Nashua, New Hampshire
IPPW Lunch With a Mission series, sponsored by Debby Hoffman of Positive Results Seminars
Place: The Holistic Self Care Center, 12 Murphy Drive
Time: 11:30am - 1:30pm

For more information, or to register, contact Debby Hoffman, Positive Results Seminars: Phone: 603-783-4446 Email: Debby@DebbyHoffman.com