THE PATHWAY TO POSITIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS

“For as he thinks in heart, so is he…” – Proverbs 23:7A (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

 

Your Thoughts Speak… Louder than you think!

There is a very strong connection between your thoughts, words, and actions. And you are likely to end up becoming who you are, based on these three key elements.

Your mind is powerful. So powerful that it shapes your entire life. When you think little about your abilities, you would struggle to give much. If you constantly speak less about yourself, you would consciously or subconsciously act less, and the best you would turn out to be is - mediocre.

You have a story; one that involves a past, a present, and the prospects of a future. The enemy works diligently to ensure that your past creeps into your present and if you allow him, your foreground will indeed begin to look a lot like your messy background.

I grew up in a hostile environment. The atmosphere at home was most times very tense. I spent my childhood learning how NOT to step on people’s toes – and by people, I mean my parents. Every sentence I spoke had to involve a deep mental calculation so as not to push a button that led to my harm or danger. The results? Anxiety, anger, lack of trust, and low self-esteem that often preceded suicidal thoughts. 

It is easy. It is super easy to sit down now and begin to push the blame of my presupposed misfortune on my parents and some figures from my past. However, I have come to learn that I am the only one who can allow that past to control my present. My parents had their part to play – a very major one indeed – but for me to break free from the bondage of a problematic childhood, I have learned to start at the very beginning – my thought patterns.

There is something about how the accuser works. He creeps in every moment and constantly replays hurt in the mind. Let us take a very basic example, for instance. Social media is a well-used tool in this 21^st century. You post content that you worked hard to create. You get one-hundred comments. Ninety-nine of them are positive comments but one is negative - attacking your creativity and overall effort. Have you noticed that that one comment is more than enough to spoil your mood for the entire day, if not the week? How come ninety-nine wholesome comments begin to appear so little amid that one negative?

Apostle Paul describes sin this way;

“…Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?” – 1Corinthians 5:6 (New Living Translation)

That is the nature of evil. And truth be told, it is also the nature of good, but we often find ourselves too busy dwelling on the inconsequential. Your mind is like a computer – what you feed it is what it will serve back to you. You allow the enemy to prey on you – you remain ‘less-than’. YOU feed your mind with negativity, it will take roots on the inside and bear negative fruits on the outside.

At some point in my adult life, I decided to walk the path of my healing with God because I needed to reassure myself that I AM WHO HE SAYS I AM. I was done with the perpetual anger, anxieties, and other negative vices. Worst of all was the recurring thoughts that I was nothing and my voice never needed to be heard.

 

I began the journey of rooting out old barriers/mindsets, destroying strongholds, and planting fresh seeds of positivity. The truth is I am still on this journey. However, I have made enough headway to be able to pull you along with me. Hence, I have mapped out practical steps to moving you out of the lane of negativity to that of positivity. Do you care to ride along? I am sure you do. Or why else would you be reading this book?

 

1.       Just forgive.

It may sound very insensitive to put it that way – just forgive. ‘Really? Do you have the slightest idea how much I have been wrongly treated?’ Well, the Bible does not say – ‘There aboundeth some levels of wrongdoings that ye may not forgive…’ When Peter asked Jesus how many times to forgive his brother/sister who wronged him, Jesus said to forgive ‘seventy times seven times!’ It has nothing to do with whether the person deserves it or whether they ask for it… just forgive.

You should forgive so your prayers can be answered (Mark 11:24-25), so your sins can be forgiven you (Matthew 6:14), and because quite frankly, you have sins that have already been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32)!

Over the years, psychologists have discovered connections between forgiveness and mental health. There has also been researching that shows that when you hold a grudge, your heart rate, and blood pressure change. These changes make you at risk of certain diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and more. So, forgiveness is non-negotiable for your well-being. It is your starting point for healing and renewal of your mindset.

 

2.      Just keep it clean.

Garbage in – garbage out. The next step to take is filtering what you consume. What constitutes the media you digest daily? If you are stuck reading, listening to, or watching unwholesome content, you are bound to think less of who you are. One of the side effects of my childhood was a lack of trust and this caused a lot of struggles with relationships. I would always listen to music about heartbreak, loneliness, and the like. And it made me more miserable. It was nearly impossible for me to have a satisfying or fulfilling relationship not only because of my past but because of my music choices in the present. Social media can be a positive tool but when it becomes your go-to for any and every information, you are bound to feel overwhelmed at some point. The media is so powerful, and it can get a strong grasp on you.

“I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar…” – Psalms 101:3A (New Living Translation)

 Let the Word of God be your number one source. His Word uplifts, encourages, admonishes, and edifies.  

 

3.      Just keep speaking the Word!

When the enemy presents falsehood about your character, you fight back with the Sword of the Spirit! God’s Word has life, so speak it out loud daily. The more you speak God’s Word, the more it dwells in your heart and mind, and the less you have time to think negatively about yourself (and others). Ephesians chapter 6 from verse 10 talks about putting on the whole armor of God as believers. Gird yourself with truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation and the Word of God.

The pathway to discovering who you truly are as God sees you is a marathon and not a sprint. See it as a journey and not a destination. Keep moving in the right direction. After all, you are the only one who has the power to stop you from being YOU.

 

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” – Philippians 4:8 (New Living Translation)

 

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Tamara Ajasa is a freelance writer. She loves to read but mostly loves to wear her superhero cape for the four little children that call her MOM.