Reorient Your Thinking

We do need to get stronger, but winning will come down to something more than strength. It’ll come down to a superior technique in personal disciplines.

1. The technique of self-talk.

2. The technique of visualization.

3. The technique of thought control.

4. The technique of self-control (reactions).

5. The technique of self-discipline.

We also need to direct the images of our mind, because nothing is more real to us than the images of our minds. This is why we can worry ourselves to death, or get ourselves worked up over someone else even when they’re not there with us. We do it all through the pictures in our minds.

As with self-talk, it helps to have set times and opportunities to direct your positive imaging. Again, try to use those times when you’re doing things that don’t require a lot of thought like housework, cooking, eating, walking dogs, training, or driving. Start holding certain images in your mind as you do these things. 

You might say this is too difficult, but your mind has no problem visualizing the things you’re worried about all day. It’s just learning a new habit.

If you find yourself struggling with this exercise, then you may want to help yourself by having set times to just meditate and visualize. Find your quiet place and try to visualize positive things. Even if it’s just pretty scenes that have no content other than they’re peace and beauty. The goal is to learn how to control and create the things your mind sees.

This leads naturally to thought control which has more to do with the way you interpret things and then holding those things in your mind.

For example, if you believe “nothing good ever happens to you,” then you’ll naturally highlight the bad things that do happen to you and disregard when good things happen. Why? Because taking account of the good things doesn’t fit your self-created narrative about your life. Bad things happen to you. You’re the victim. Therefore, you’re excused from having to improve your life—because you’re a victim!

So, controlling your thoughts means you’re not allowing certain narratives and interpretations to remain in your mind. This will take effort, and it means you’ll need to speak out loud to yourself in order to reorient your thinking.