Don't always believe what you think

(see Jill Carroll update below)

Have you ever heard this? That most of the thoughts that come to us aren't original. We may pick up another's thought ( example: they cry, so we start crying). Fear, the constant commercialism around us and even empathy can lead us to adopting thoughts that are not our own. Movies are great manipulators of thought. (Not that this alone will stop me from seeing movies!)

I remember going to meet someone for the first time, and when I did, my first impression was not favorable. I had no reason to feel this way. Fortunately, I was able to catch that and literally disclaim that thought as my own. This helped establish this working relationship on a good basis and we had a very productive experience together.

But it was telling. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy writes,

Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously. When the condition is present which you say induces disease, whether it be air, exercise, heredity, contagion, or accident, then perform your office as porter and shut out these unhealthy thoughts and fears.

Exclude from mortal mind the offending errors; then the body cannot suffer from them. The issues of pain or pleasure must come through mind, and like a watchman forsaking his post, we admit the intruding belief, forgetting that through divine help we can forbid this entrance.

This in itself was pretty mind-blowing to me! We can have that much discipline of thought to determine what is an original thought and what isn't. It also occurred to me how important it is to distinguish between the two.

Original thought comes in the form of inspiration and even revelation. Being able to detect the origins of our thoughts helps to protect us from contagion, fear and group think as well as fine-tunes our ability to listen to innovative solutions.

Original thought is refreshing. Ideas that feel tiresome are probably not original, but ideas that cause you to grow, to see things in a new way, that hit home, probably are.

A discipline worth knowing!

Click here for an update on Jill Carroll from the Christian Science Monitor,
here for the website of one of Jill's friends that includes
English translations of other Arabic news articles when available,
and here for a healing thrust to these current events.


Please add your own comments or email this article to a friend.
For more information, visit kimckorinek.com or contact Kim directly via skype!


Get Skype and call me for free.