I read a statistic that said the human brain has around 60,000 thoughts per day. Wow, assuming that is true that’s a lot of mental energy isnt’ it?
The other thing I already know is that we tend to believe 95-99% of what we think.
Our thoughts come from a bunch of places but the two biggies are the cultural upbringing we have and what our brain is compiling from all the messages it’s receiving from our senses.
How many of those thoughts are facts and certain do you think? Not as many as you think. It makes sense that we believe our thoughts are true and correct. After all our pre conceived thoughts help us make sense of our world so it is only logical that we believe them. The real question is whether that belief is a wise one.
Did you know our senses can deceive us (long story on the nervous system…you can trust me or you can look it up) and how our brain interprets these messages can be flat-out wrong. Think about how optical illusions work. This is just one problem.
However, as a Coach I’m much more concerned with the thoughts that come from our upbringing. Our thoughts here create our belief system. Yet, they can be as confused (and confusing) as an optical illusion. As adults we often hold onto beliefs that do not serve us any longer. In fact they might even be doing us harm.
“Change your thinking, change your life,” ~Ernest Holmes
Our self-esteem is created by our thoughts. How we perceive the world around us is created by those same thoughts. We believe them to be true and interact with other and the world around in kind. This is on of the reasons I find it so important to explore and understand our own belief and value system. I discuss this much further in my book “Shine On.”
These types of beliefs around our self is often rooted in those childhood belief systems that are most likely outdated (in the least).
Start looking to become aware of your thoughts. Questions them, question what you believe to be true. I am willing to bet money that you too hold beliefs that are, in fact, keeping you stuck. Stuck sucks.
You become what you believe you are. It’s time to start thinking about what you are thinking.
Ah, the power of our thoughts. One of my favorite topics!
I’ve been working on my own for sometime now, and I’m really beginning to see the benefits of ensuring that my thoughts are in alignment with my beliefs. There was a time when I actually believed they were one in the same. But like Maya says, “When you know better, you do better.” Since discovering that they are far from the same thing, I have learned to tune more into what I’m thinking and making my thoughts work for me; and not so much against me anymore. The power lies within us to create whatever world we desire to live in, and who we desire to become. If we don’t like something about ourselves, the trigger to change it, lies in those thoughts we are constantly thinking. We get most of our way of thinking from our childhood, and spend the rest of our adulthood trying to figure out why we do, say, and think a certain way. It takes an awareness that all those things learned must be questioned in order to change them, in my opinion. If we aren’t aware, then we probably won’t see a need for a change to take place. Good stuff, Bonnie. Indeed, stuck does suck! 
I agree that we become what we believe we are. Thoughts and beliefs from childhood seem to come back and haunt us more than we realize. We need to examine these thoughts and get rid of stinkin’ thinkin’.
I don’t believe we should hold onto out parents beliefs/thinking/way of doing things simply because that was all that was foisted on us. It’s hard to push through with your own values as it is: I tried to foster that with my kids, and myself.
Have you ever heard, I think so much I just can’t think anymore?! I remember telling my dad that when I was younger. He looked at me and didn’t know what to say.
I appreciate you sharing this information Bonnie. You really pointed out some interesting facts and it makes more sense on how we can get things so messed up by thinking too much or not enough thinking!
I’m fairly certain that the census of ‘thoughts’ you listed are not thoughts, but brain interactions- responding to our nervous system regarding senses, walking, talking, etc.
But, otherwise, I agree, in general, that most of us fail to truly discern our real thoughts and are reacting to stimuli that we consider to be our choices.
Great post.
When we think we get confused. When we do and live we experience wonderful adventures. Love the Cat. Now lets deal with day dreaming? Is the thinking or imagining?
Within the last couple of years I have removed “think” from my vocabulary, switching it out with “believe.” Thinking is for thoughts and believing is for my belief system, what I hold as truth. This word exchange has not only made stronger as a person but also as a coach and mentor.
One of my favorite stories is the one of the family on Easter Sunday getting ready to make the ham. The women of the family are all preparing the ham when the little girl asks her mom, “Why do you cut the ends off the ham?” The mom answers that this is how her mom did it so they go to ask her. Grandma responds that it is how her mom always did it as well so they go ask great Grandma. Great Grandma responds that it is because her oven pan was too small to fit the entire ham.
Sometimes we just don’t question what we believe, but, if we did, we’d find that there might not really be that good of a reason for that belief in the first place!
Great post!
Haha. Yes, guilty of thinking that what I’m thinking is right
at least MOST of the time.