The Tribune

By MICHELLE MILLER

The statement, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”, is not some nice proverb. It is one of the irrefutable laws of life. Despite the potency of this truth, many are not in the habit of taking control of or assessing the quality of their thoughts.

Despite this absence of thought evaluation, people still have the audacity to expect an improved life. British philosophical writer James Allen puts it well in his statement that, “A man is now, where his thoughts have brought him – and he will be tomorrow wherever his thoughts take him.”

The salient point here is that you cannot improve your outer circumstances without first fixing the way you think. As a matter of fact, it is the quality of your thinking that motivates the kind of action you take. The challenge is you must determine if your thoughts and actions are producing the success you desire.

Recognise that we are thinking beings; meaning that we have the power within to change our thoughts in order to experience an improved life of success. Real success is really a state of mind. That’s why it is said: if your mind can conceive it, you definitely can achieve it.

So, first things first, how do you think – positively or negatively? Do you know that your thinking pattern is developed from the information you absorb? If you spend most of your time digesting negative information, your thinking pattern will develop accordingly. Same is true for positive information.

Let me share my story of how I put this notion of changing my thoughts in order to change and improve my life. At age 26 years old – having spent about nine years in the public service – I had this burning desire to go into the private sector, banking to be exact. The many persons I shared this wish with were certain that based on my backstory of growing up in Bain Town and graduating from Government School, I simply didn’t fit the profile of those who landed jobs in the private sector.

Even so, there was this powerful pull within me pushing me to do it anyway. The first thing I had to do was to arrest the many negative thoughts about myself and my ability to get such a job. I got under the hood of my thinking to understand where those thoughts were coming from.

Upon closer examination, I realised that the idea that I wasn’t good enough for such a job wasn’t not even my own thought. It really came from the fears and doubts of those people around me. With this realisation, I made the decision to delete that old negative thinking and began to build a more optimistic mindset. Through this mental cleansing I found the confidence to take focused action, finally sending out my resumes. And within a short space of time, I was in fact hired by CIBC.

Don’t let your other people or your circumstances limit how far you throw your ball of possibility.

Having achieved that first taste of success, over the years it has been a constant source of motivation. Even today, it pushes me to use the “think, act, succeed” process to land many more amazing opportunities.

This experience also highlighted the importance of being very selective with whom you share your dreams and goals. Not everyone will see what you see, and more importantly, not everyone will believe that you can do it. Sometimes when you are ready to take your life higher you have to quietly galvanise your own confidence to think and act in ways that pushes you towards your own success.

Having read this far, what great opportunity are you too afraid to go for because of what people may say or because of negative thinking? Regardless of the situation you are facing, your life always follows your thoughts. If you really want to improve your life, you must first change the way you think. Any kind of sustained improvement in your life will only happen by shifting your mindset.

Take time today to assess your thinking pattern by deleting those old negative thoughts that may be holding you back. It is only through optimistic thinking that you can begin to live an empowered life.

Yes! You definitely can do it. What do you think? Please send your comments to coaching242@yahoo.com or 429-6770.

• Michelle M Miller is a certified life coach, communication and leadership expert. Visit www.talktomichellemiller.com or call 1-888-620-7894; mail can be sent to PO Box CB-13060.