Our days are filled with a continual dialog in our minds. Whether you are thinking about what you are going to have for lunch, or a significant problem you are working through at home, you constantly have words rolling through your mind. What most of us don’t stop to consider is that it is these words literally shape our future. They shape how we deal with life, with others, and with change. It matters what we fill the space in our minds with.
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Words are powerful. We most often think about them in context of how they impact others when we say them. In the book of James, we are told that we should take great care in what we say, because it can bring either a blessing or a curse. What we may miss in narrowly applying the principle to others is, that the words that we silently speak to ourselves carry the same power.
What we say to ourselves on a daily basis will cause either our fear or faith to grow. If we listen to lies, we will suffer. If we listen to truth, it will bless us. The war of words in our minds will determine who has dominion over our heart. And whoever has dominion over our heart will determine our future, and in many instances, the future of those we love.
In order to have a positive impact on the lives of those around us, good must triumph over evil in this very important war for your mind. Here are a couple of ways to get in front of this important issue.
1) Take time regularly to assess the battlefield. Too often we can fall into the trap of complacency when dealing with our own internal battles as we engage the external battles of daily life. One way to avoid neglecting yourself is to spend time each day journaling. It causes you to reflect on not just what happened during the day, but how you reacted to it and why. It can help you monitor your internal dialog. Evernote is the tool I use for this. (yes, the blog and podcast on setting it up is coming as soon as I can!) I simply have a notebook called “Journal” and the title of each entry is the date of the entry.
2) Identify turning points. If you see that negative thoughts are consuming an increasing amount of space in your journal, that is a sure sign that the tide has shifted in your internal war of words. However, now you can examine your written record to see when the shift began to occur. Did it begin with a specific person or event? What is the nature of the shift? Use this information to identify the source and take action to correct it. This can be true for positive shifts as well. Did you have a major breakthrough? What proceeded it? Who was involved? Understanding this can help you re-enforce it should it begin to slip away.
In order to be a source of stability and confidence for those around you as we move through this time of change, you must win the battle for your mind. The key is to have your finger on the pulse of the ebb and flow of your thoughts, and to be intentional about managing them. You will find that if you proactively monitor and course correct your thought life, you will make decisions that will positively shape your world, even in the midst of change.
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