CHANGE YOUR THINKING
Posted: April 05, 2019
I heard something the other day that was simple but profound at the same time. It went something like this: You won’t make different choices until you change your thinking.
The idea is that even if you want to change, you won’t really do it unless something else changes, at a deeper level. You have to change your thinking too.
This got me thinking about many of the people I meet. Most are wanting to improve their lives in some way. Here’s a short list of some of the changes people are trying to make, that quickly ran through my mind.
At the fitness center, some are wanting to lose weight, while others just want to tone up. Still others want to build some serious muscle.
In martial arts, I meet people wanting to build confidence and defend themselves. Others are there for a physical and mental challenge.
When I was a police officer, I often met people struggling with a problem. While some clearly weren’t ready for change, others were at the end of their rope, and knew they needed help.
That leads me to church, which is the ultimate place of change. I’m always meeting people there who are trying to become better persons. None of us have made it yet, but we’re all trying.
But when you’ve been living one way, it’s hard to change. If you’ve been doing something a long time, it almost takes being reprogrammed to make lasting changes. That’s what God does.
The Bible has been the best selling book of all time. It’s really the ultimate self-help book. It says we’re “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” It also says “faith comes by hearing.” If we get anything, we need to get this.
So to really change and make better choices, we need to get where we can hear how to do it. We need to hear from other people who have changed and what it’s done for them.
If we hear it enough, then our mind is renewed and we become transformed. That means we’ve changed our thinking, and it changes us. And that’s when we can finally start making better choices.
So if you need some faith, get around some people who have some faith and listen to them. If you need some hope, get around some people who have lots of hope, and hear from them too.
If you need to lose some weight, get around some people who’ve lost weight, or who have helped other people do it. Get inspired and change your thinking.
If you need to get out of debt, get around people who have gotten out of debt. Listen, they’ve got a story to tell. I’ll bet they’d share it if you just asked them.
If you want to become a better parent, get around people who are or have been great parents. Listen to them, and then do what they did.
We’ve all got something to learn. Nobody has it all figured out. I’m still working hard to get better at each of those things. It starts by hearing, then thinking, then choosing.
Don’t forget, we can “hear” things by reading too. It’s as if the author’s personally speaking to you, just like l’m doing right now. That’s what I hear, anyway.
So let’s go do some listening, and some thinking, too. I’ll bet we start making some better choices!