What Do You Think About?

Our thinking has a direct impact on our life. For example, if I’m constantly thinking about what could go wrong, my decisions are going to be different than if I’m only thinking about what could go right. If I’m always pondering how I can to do things better, my work will be different than if I never consider that there may be room for improvement. If I hold a grudge and focus on revenge, my life is going to look different than if I focus on loving those around me.

Since our thoughts can affect out lives, it’s a good idea to pay attention to what we think about. But how do we change what we think about, especially if our current thought patterns are not what we’d like them to be?

Changes in our thinking often start with what we expose ourselves to—the people we hang out with, the books we read, or the media we watch or listen to. In time, what we pay attention to will often start to rub off. And the good news is that we can choose (for the most part) what we’re going to expose ourselves to.

Once we start thinking a certain way, it will also get easier to continue doing so—the way we think can become a habit. And that habit can have profound effects on the rest of our life.