Thinking
Thought Systems vs. Reality
By Lynne Hoft, EdD and Vivian Hildebrandt, MA
A thought pattern is a collection of thoughts that has been repeated so often it has become a part of our belief system. In our computer mind, which stores only events from the past and its interpretations of those events, we hold thought patterns about all areas of our lives. Many of these patterns originated when we were very young. A pattern might be the result of a 3-year-old’s fears of the dark or a family preference for eating meatloaf on Sunday, driving Fords, or joining the Marines. It is important to realize that the fears of a 3-year-old or historical family preferences or interpretations of past events may hold little relevance in the current moment.
Thought systems are neutral; our thoughts have no meaning except the value we give them. There is no way we’re going to eliminate them. They’re not written in stone; they’re just our collections of what has been real or important to us throughout our lives. We’ve made them real, and as we learn to recognize them through our frequent encounters, we can choose to re-create them or let them go.
We each have a personalized vision of how life is and how it works; it’s our own preconceived reality. All of our thought patterns support our understanding of how life is—they are self-validating. In our computer mind, we put these patterns together in ways that make sense to us. If we have a negative reality, our mind will sort evidence from our everyday experiences that supports that reality. For example, if we believe other people are out to get us, our mind will show us what is going on in the world around us to support that belief. Whether we believe we’re not lovable, we can’t sing, or we’re clumsy, our mind will present evidence to support that viewpoint. It works the same with a positive reality: Our mind finds the evidence in our experience that supports our position.
With a fixed reality of life, when things don’t go as we expect them to, we take it personally. For example, when our boss retires, a new supervisor is appointed, and our job changes to match the new plan, we feel victimized. We personalize what is happening rather than seeing the big picture. When we become too locked into our belief systems, we believe our way is the only “right” way. Having to be right or needing to be right distances us from the rest of humanity; we lose friends, respect, and contentment. When the world that is right—those who agree with us—is small, the rest of the world, which is “wrong,” becomes very big. Then we wonder, What is wrong with the world?
An understanding of thoughts and thought systems gives a new dimension to understanding how problems evolve and how solutions emerge. When we focus on natural brilliance and individual strengths and capabilities, we can see new solutions. Then we can experience a world in which anything is possible and the best in all of us is encouraged and expected.
The body and mind are not separate. We’ve heard about patients with brain injuries who have recovered because another area of the brain repatterned and assumed the function of the damaged area. There is an intuitive brilliance within us that is more powerful than we’ve ever imagined. We’re just beginning to discover how this is part of the mind-body connection. Understanding that thought systems are just patterns of thought, we can let go of what doesn’t work. We can choose new thoughts that support our expression of health and wholeness in the world.
Can you imagine what would happen if we all started focusing more on what is working in the world rather than what isn’t? We would see that most of the world’s people truly want peace. We would be aware of how helpful people throughout the world are when others are in trouble. We would understand how important our children are to all of us. We would celebrate our differences as adding value to the world. With collective attention on the good in the world, we would automatically generate a greater good worldwide.
We always have a choice, so why would we want to choose thoughts of separation when we can choose thoughts of wholeness? It’s really very simple: It’s all about choosing which thoughts to hold on to. It’s knowing we have a choice.
Many of us have found ourselves blocked in our efforts to achieve happiness and what we want in life. It has seemed as if we had no energy to pursue our dreams. In fact, we had thoughts that were blocking our energy.
One way to drop these thoughts is to just quiet down. Take a deep breath and relax. Your brilliance will assist you in identifying any thought pattern that keeps recurring, so you can stop focusing on it. The trick is to trust that sooner or later you will get your answer, that you’ll know which thoughts you need to let go of. When you get a feeling of happiness, you will know that you’re on the right track.
When a thought pattern no longer fits our circumstances, it becomes a mistaken belief—a belief that is no longer effective and that will be detrimental if allowed to continue. We have to recognize those beliefs and let go of them if we want happy, healthy lives and relationships.
We all have worn-out beliefs that are limiting our expression. Once we understand that this is a part of being human and use our knowledge of how thoughts work, we can choose to let go of mistaken beliefs. When we do this we open doors to new relationships with ourselves, with others, and with the world.
©2007, Back to Brilliance, Excerpt from Activate Your Brilliance
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