Your Thoughts Matter

“Every thought you choose to believe becomes a brushstroke on the canvas of your life.” Sage

Dear Ones,

As we are stepping into a new, more expansive part of the yearly cycle, we might feel a natural inspiration to act on our intentions and goals. An important part of taking action is to align fully with our intentions, which simply means thinking about what we want and not the opposite—what we don’t want.

This might sound very easy, and yes, in essence, it is very simple. The only thing is that we have often been conditioned to look in the opposite direction of where we want to go. Often unconsciously, we absorbed these patterns from the first adults around us. We learned to push against the unwanted, to fear and worry about the unwanted, and to protect ourselves from the unwanted. In our innocence, we didn’t know that what we resist persists, and what we push against comes closer to us. It is simply that our focus, our attention, is highly creative. Wherever we place our attention, we place our energy, and this will create more of it. Our focus is our power, and we don’t have to be afraid of this power. We only need to be more mindful and use it in an intelligent and loving way.

We each have a natural preference in life—those things, people, and circumstances which are in alignment with our natural self—but we don’t have to judge that which we don’t prefer, as this not only drains our energy but also diffuses our focus and consequently weakens our creative power. This is true for our personal lives and also for the collective. So if we want to have peace in the world, it is more constructive and powerful to be pro-peace than against war. The first gives energy to peace; the second, paradoxically, gives energy to war.

When we were growing up, most of us never heard that our thoughts matter. People believed that our words, our behaviour, and our actions mattered, not being aware that those actually have their roots in our beliefs, thoughts, and feelings. And so, if we want to see any lasting change in our lives, we have to go to the root of the matter—to go to the roots which literally CREATE MATTER.

We don’t have to be afraid of our thoughts when we notice them going, seemingly uncontrollably, in negative directions. But once we have our own insight into how powerful they are, we will naturally become clearer on how to use them instead of being used by them. Thoughts and feelings come and go; we are the ones who are AWARE and can empower only those which truly empower us, our intentions, and our heart’s true desires. It’s good to remember that even the most negative thought doesn’t have any power over us unless we believe it. Our belief infuses it with power—our belief literally gives it life and manifests it.

One very simple yet very effective practical tool we can use in our everyday life is this: anytime we find ourselves—often unconsciously—subscribing to a stream of thoughts that we know don’t serve us (and this will be accompanied by negative feelings, so we can notice it more easily), we can pause, notice, and say to ourselves: I can see clearly now what I don’t want—what is it that I do want? This helps us redirect the stream of our thoughts into a more constructive, positively creative direction. This again naturally evokes more positive feelings, giving us the message that we are now moving in the right direction.

And so, dearest One, what thoughts do you want to empower right now? What thoughts feel like seeds you want to plant and water with your attention so that they can take root, grow, bloom, and bear fruit in your life? What thoughts are you ready to let go of? You have the power to do both. You are a creator. You are an aspect of the Divine. And this is the life you are creating with your thoughts right now.I look forward to meditating with you.

Lots of love,
Jana

This week’s meditation theme: Grounded Renewal

Thursday 19th March