If you have a strong mind
and plant in it a firm resolve, you can change your destiny. – Paramahansa
Yogananda
The mind is
everything. What you think you become. -
Buddha
Last week, the author talked about a crazy week she
had and asked the reader how they would manage a situation they could not
control.
In the author’s situation, the first couple of hours
were difficult for her. She was upset and continually tried to call the electricity
company to figure out when the power would be turned back on. Even with her persistence,
nothing happened. The author tried to control the situation and could do
nothing. Finally, she stopped, took a breath, and went for a drive.
For a while, the author blamed herself for the electricity
going out. That may sound crazy, but the author spiraled to crazy thoughts
because she was tired, frustrated and trying to control. When those crazy
thoughts were festering in her mind, the author remembered a quote in Jon
Acuff’s book Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking.
One of the greatest
mistakes you can make in life is assuming all your thoughts are true.
This was a great reminder of the author. At that
moment, she remembered the three questions that Acuff discussed on Andy
Stanley’s podcast to determine if the soundtrack in one’s mind was “broken.” The questions listed below were discussed in
the February 2023 podcast:
A. Is it true? One of the greatest
mistakes you make is assuming that all your thoughts are true.
B. Is it helpful? There are some things
in life that are true but not helpful.
C. Is it kind? If you said it to a
friend, would they still want to be your friend.
ACTION: Think back to the last time you were having a
horrible, no-good day and think about the thoughts you thought about yourself. Were
they uplifting or degrading? What did you do?
Resource
·
Acuff,
J. (2021). Soundtracks:
The Surprising Solution to Overthinking. Prince Frederick.
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