Remember when you moved into your home and decorated your living room? At first there was only empty space, but slowly you filled it up until you were satisfied it looked the way you wanted. You may have installed new carpet or flooring, painted and went shopping for some great new things that made it pleasing, like comfortable couches or a cozy fireplace. You may have brought in a cool entertainment system for your video games, movies, and TV’s. You made it a place to go to unwind, relax, and enjoy.
If you neglected it, after awhile the carpet and furniture became dirty and worn, the paint chipped, and the electronics became useless or outdated. You may have realized it was time to update things, and if you did, it was like a great new room again.
Our minds are exactly like our living rooms. At first there is only empty space. As we go through life, it gets filled with all kinds of thoughts which make us either comfortable or uncomfortable, happy or unhappy, affecting our emotions and ultimately, our bodies.
When a room gets destroyed, what happens to the room? The answer is – nothing. The walls, floors, and furniture are not part of the space. The space is still there, it can never go away. Same with our minds, our minds are permanent, and our consciousness will last forever─ it is the thoughts that come and go, let in from outside sources. Therefore, we are Not our thoughts!
If we are not our thoughts, why are we often controlled by them? It is because we may not realize that thoughts are the furniture of our minds, and we can decorate our minds just like we decorate our homes. We have the ability to pick the thoughts we allow to nestle and reside with us. At times, we forget that we can pack up the bad thoughts and discard them and remodel.
Would you go into a store and pay a huge sum of money for furniture you hate? Why then, do we pay huge emotional sums to decorate our minds with thoughts of fear, anger, hatred, or any other destructive thoughts which entrench themselves and remain indefinitely?
The best way to redecorate the mind is by constant awareness. Focus on what you want, not what you don’t have or don’t want. Dust off the good thoughts of love and gratitude and put them in a prominent spot. Look around in your mind and see what thoughts are controlling your mood--you can develop the ability to throw out bad thoughts just like you discard old, useless furniture.
If we give our thoughts the same consideration that we give our furniture, our minds will be a place we can rely on for comfort, security and pleasure. It is time to redecorate!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment