Think on These Things Bracelet

Thursday, June 23, 2011

I have a favorite pair of pants with the manufacturer’s logo sewn into the leg in the shape of a sticker. Every time I wear the pants, someone tells me my sticker is showing and tries to pull it off. Each time I explain that the sticker is really the logo of the pants and then I mention the brand. It’s a great marketing strategy! Along the same lines, have you ever forgotten to clip the tag from your clothes and displayed to the world the price of your new garment? I know I have! Displaying the price tag of clothing can be embarrassing, but not nearly as embarrassing as displaying an ugly attitude. Ugly thoughts lead to an ugly attitude.

Our thoughts either move us toward our God-given potential or away from it. In either case you can rest assured your thoughts are showing. Our thoughts lead to emotions, physical feelings, and physical actions. What we think will eventually show up! If our thoughts eventually show up in our words and actions, then the first step toward changing our circumstances is to change our thoughts. If ugly thoughts show up as ugly actions, it makes sense that joy-filled thoughts will show up as a joy-filled life.

How then can we turn our thoughts toward God? Right thinking is a choice. We have control over our thoughts. It usually take 21 days to switch a bad habit. This week I’m providing you a strategy to get rid of your negative thinking in 21 days!
Think on These Things Bracelet

The Think on These Things bracelet is a tool that
...monitors how often you think negatively
...helps you track your progress toward becoming negative free.

Use the Philippians 4:8 thinking model to help you think positively and live a joy-filled life.

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 (NLT)

Simply put the bracelet on either wrist and every time you think a negative thought, switch the bracelet to the other wrist. The goal is to go 21 consecutive days without negativity or switching the bracelet.

When the bad thought enters your mind, replace it by following these steps.
1. Rename it – Tell yourself this thought is a negative, bad, ungodly, unkind, etc. thought
2. Re-frame it – Focus on a positive or distracting thought
3. Redirect your actions to something uplifting, fun, or engaging.

Contact me at education@christplace.org, and I’ll be happy to send you a bracelet and instruction card.

Your thoughts are showing! Do you need to switch them? Switch your thoughts not your bracelet!

EQ vs IQ

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Neuroscientists now believe that every thought sends electrical and chemical signals throughout your brain, ultimately affecting each cell in your body. Consider then the effects of the thoughts that travel through your mind. The average person thinks approximately 50,000 thoughts per day. But according to some research, as many as 98 percent of them are exactly the same as the thoughts we had the day before. Even more significant, 80 percent of our thoughts are negative. What kind of signals does that negativity send through your body?

Just a little bit of change in our thinking patterns will go a long way.
To illustrate…

Hold up your thumb and forefinger about 2-1/2 inches apart. It takes Olympian runners just 1/100th of a second to run that distance in the 100-meter race. That brief distance and brief time is the difference between winning and losing. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, the gold medal was won by an American female runner who crossed the finish line only 2-1/2 inches in front of her closest opponent.

Research says that a positive attitude is the little bit of difference that makes all the difference in both personal and professional success. In fact, research shows that a good positive attitude is more important than any other element when it comes to ensuring success. EQ (Emotional Quotient) trumps IQ (Intelligence Quotient) when it comes to success.

Most of us put our thought process on cruise control. We react to every situation we face based on our past experiences or our knowledge. Very few people are intentional with their thoughts. For example, most people automatically associate moving to a new community or starting a new job with events that will be stressful. We become anxious about the change and sometimes people become sick or anxious just thinking about the prospects of a move. However, we can begin to take our minds off of “cruise control,” and become intentional about our thinking.

Recently I watched a video featuring Christian inspirational writer and speaker Graham Cooke. He shares the power of controlling our thoughts in this six-minute video clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8FFx7smJ0w&feature=related

Think about changing your thinking! A little bit will go a long way!

“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light." Matthew 6:22

Let your thoughts provide the light for your whole being!

Upgrade!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

I’m in the middle of building a new home and love the process. I’m working hard to stay in the budget and fortunately my builder includes a high quality of materials as his standard. Even so, with every decision there is an opportunity for an upgrade. I’ve resisted those options so that I can stay in the budget.

The good news for us is that Christ constantly wants to give us upgrades! I recently watched a video of Christian author and speaker Graham Cooke on the theme The Art of Thinking Brilliantly. He posed the question, “What if every situation had an upgrade to it?” Let’s think about that possibility. God wants to use all of our circumstances to advance us. When we are living in Christ, every issue we face is in Christ. Every conflict, every concern, every problem comes to the Jesus in us. He wants to take our circumstances and work them for good. He wants us to experience his abundant blessings even through our conflicts. How do we get from the burden to the blessing? The way we start our situation determines how we end it, so we want to connect to Jesus at the beginning of the issue. For each issue, let’s ask God, “What outcome have you assigned to me in this situation?” Then we should give him complete control of our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions.

Our challenge is to find the connecting point to Jesus within every situation. In the beginning of our messes, not in the middle, our task is to find Christ. Often we engage in the circumstance instead of engaging in Christ. What if we go to Christ first? How might the outcome of our circumstances change? We’re bound to get upgrades! Upgrades in peace, upgrades in joy, upgrades in blessings!

Upgrades are like having a first class ticket but travelling coach. We don’t always take advantage of our upgrades. Let’s learn to become intrigued and joyful in every situation as we realize God is going to advance us!

Upgrade please!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:2-5