Thoughts are the most powerful tool you possess; they’re more real than the chair you’re sitting on.  Thoughts are the foundation and the building blocks of everything around you, from your computer to your shirt.

Your world is controlled by the thoughts that occupy your mind.  Your world is a mirror of what you constantly ponder.  You don’t have to tell others what you think about, if they could follow you around everyday, they would see in your world the pictures that you consistently hold in your mind.  This article is about controlling and guiding your thoughts in order to reap the benefits of this powerful tool that you possess.

In 1931, a lumberman walked into a hardware store and asked the owner if he could purchase a new axe, as his current axe was now dull.  The owner said, “…You don’t want to do that,” and then the owner reached back and handed the lumberman a chainsaw.

The owner asked the lumberman, “How many trees do you chop down in a day?”  The lumberman said, “On a good day, I could chop down 20 trees.”

The owner said, “If you can chop down 20 trees with an axe or a cross-cut, I guarantee you can cut down 75 trees a day with this here chainsaw.”

The lumberman said, “75 trees a day!” and then he bought the chainsaw, with big plans on becoming rich.

The next day, the lumberman came back into the hardware store.  He was angry, and he threw the chainsaw on the counter in front of the store owner.

The owner said, “Is everything ok?”  The lumberman said, “that chainsaw is a piece of junk,” he said, “I never worked so hard in my life, I worked so hard my eyeballs nearly came out of my head; there is no way you can chop down one tree a day with that heavy, sorry thing!”

Well the owner said, “There must be something wrong with it.” So he picked it up, and checked it out, and then pulled the starter on that chainsaw, and that chainsaw went, “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”  The lumberman said, “WHAT WAS THAT???”

Can you imagine, a guy walking around with a chainsaw, cutting trees down without the engine running.  Now that is a picture of man, walking around with a mind and not focusing it on what he wants to achieve.

Like the rudder that guides the ship, your thoughts guide you through your life.  You can choose to focus your thoughts on either positive or negative imaginations; but rest assured, your ship will arrive at the destination of your dominant thoughts.

Some may say, I can’t control my thoughts, negative thoughts just pop in my head, and I think about them.  I would say, I may not be able to stop birds from flying over my head, but I can certainly stop them from building a nest in my hair.  Negative thoughts become destructive when you ponder on them!

In order to control your thoughts, you must:

1. Plan Your Thoughts - Sit down in a quiet place and write down one to three major goals that you have.

2. Practice Your Thoughts – Then imagine for a few moments what it would be like after each of these goals are achieved.  Visualize a scenario that would take place after the goal is realized.  Imagine getting a perfect bill of health from your doctor, see yourself in your doctor’s office, hear him/her tell you the good report.  Imagine yourself progressing spiritually; see yourself as a loving person who seeks to give to all men, free from all addictions.  See yourself achieving your financial goal; get really clear as to what that would look like.  If you are clear, it will be easy to recall these imaginations throughout the day.

When you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or driving your car, use that time to focus your thoughts on success.  Whenever your mind is free, you should dictate what it thinks about, don’t let in wander; keep your mind on a tight leash.

Use your memory to re-play your pass successes and your imagination to pre-play future successes at every chance you get.  Don’t ponder on things you don’t want in your life, see your life the way you want it to be.  This is why daily meditation is so important, it allows you to re-focus and reset your thinking.

What about “Bad Thoughts?”

Whenever a bad thought comes, just say “cancel, cancel,” and immediately switch your thoughts to a positive pre-planned thought.  Think of the good you want in your life.  Don’t allow negative thoughts to take residence in your mind.  Evict the negative thoughts; evict every thought of addiction, depression, strife, and anger.  Focus your thoughts on the vision you have pre-selected for your life. Those thoughts which represent the successful blueprints you have chosen to live out.

Thank you for reading mrselfdevelopment.com where every article expands your mind, increases your faith, and changes your life.

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