I don’t know much, but I do know this: You become what you think about.
Today, while cooking dinner and listening to an audiobook, the author asked, “What do you use your mind for?” It’s a question that I pose to you as well. What do you use your mind for? Do you use your mind to contemplate yourself surrounded by the conditions that you wish to produce? Or, like most of us, do you use your mind to sabotage your chances of manifesting your dreams through various illusory excuses?
Instead of thinking about success, most of us think about failure. Instead of thinking about things going “right”, we instead visualize things going “wrong”.
My friend Vinny wants to start a cafe. It’s his dream. He really, really wants it to happen. But he has already eliminated the possibility of fulfilling his dream through the employment of excuses like, “I don’t have enough money to do it.” Excuses are not real.
The author reminded the audience that the law of flotation was not discovered by the contemplation of the sinking of things. And yet it is the sinking of things on which most of us fixate our mind and our thoughts. It doesn’t have to be this way.
How powerful we would be if we shifted our thoughts ever so slightly, and spent just a little less time sabotaging our ability to create our dreams. If we become what we think, then why not think about what we want to become?
February 8, 2010 at 6:46 pm
I think about the day i can get back to normal. Normal day activities don’t see so normal to me now. I have had a lot of time lately to think, too much time. Its good to see you post something that is not so controversial as one of your post from last week. Davide M.
February 9, 2010 at 6:28 pm
David M.
I can’t remember the last time things felt normal to me. And I totally hear you about how normal daily activities do not feel normal.
I have changed so much over the last 5 years or so, that I don’t recognize myself sometimes.Sta
Stay with it man.
February 8, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Davey…love your outlook and the way you express how you feel about things(Your face and body is RATHER PLEASEANT TOO:)…
Hugs from greenwich village NYC
February 8, 2010 at 8:27 pm
great reminder/inspiration as always =) your so adorable davey XD
February 8, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Davey, I’m sorry we didn’t hit the 2000 mark on time. Hang in there. It was kind of short notice.
Hugs to you my Son (or I should say Grandson considering our age differences – according to the calendar, LOL).
I enjoy your inspirational thoughts – they really are quite good. Keep up the good work but listen to the feedback. Your friends will tell you if you stray very far from what they expect from you.
February 8, 2010 at 9:57 pm
A point of clarification – I’ve never met Davey except thru this blog.
February 8, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Thanks for this Davey. You always seem to “know” exactly what I need to read. I spent all day sabotaging my goals, feeling sorry for my situation at work and in my relationship. Your post turned things around and I feel so much better about myself and my outlook for tomorrow.
February 9, 2010 at 3:07 am
beautiful post. thank you dw!
February 9, 2010 at 4:48 am
I now have a greater love for my parents. They raised me in an “impossible” environment. They were self employed, had 4 kids, were married at 18, home schooled us, and always support our endeavors. They have shown me that anything, im going to repeat that ANYTHING, is not only possible, its attainable. They have shown me that if you love what you do then everything comes together seemingly with no effort. At other times when it seems like everything around you is falling apart, its only to show you a clearer path to your destiny. I have noticed that I have been raised without much of the negative self talk that overwhelms society[not all, I still have my moments of doubt and despair]. My parents have shown me there is ALWAYS a way to do what you want if its what you love.
So what do I use my mind for? I’m learning chinese and ayurvedic medicine, I’m reaseaching vitilligo, I plan how I will afford a trip to china knowing I will get there, I think about what food I will cook next.I know you can do what you LOVE
February 9, 2010 at 7:50 am
Right, so if those starving african children just think positive, they’ll somehow be fed and clothed and won’t die from malnutrition and disease.
Sorry David, mere positive thinking is not a means to an end. To suggest so ignores all of the facts of anyone’s given circumstances. Sometimes, life can just be s**t, and no amount of positive thinking is magically going to change it.
And anyway, what you want is not always what you need. Even if you friend opens a cafe, he may very well find it’s not what he really needed for self fullfillment after.
In short, critical thinking is better than positive/negative thinking. Examine the facts and your situation and see what can or cannot be achieved. You can’t “trick” yourself into magically making something happen through positive thinking alone. If something is not achievable based on the facts then that’s just the way it is – deluding yourself is not going to change it.
February 9, 2010 at 8:17 am
Rory, it’s OK if you missed the point of Davey’s post. You’re just not in a place where you can “see” it yet. But you obviously do want to “get” it, otherwise you would not spend your time reading this blog and then posting your comments. So hang in there, and you will eventually understand that with your thoughts you do indeed create the world around yourself.
February 9, 2010 at 8:45 am
Hi Kit,
Thanks for your response. I understand his mantra. I just don’t agree with it.
Life has joy as well as suffering and pain. You cannot avoid suffering and pain. It is there, and it will always be there. Trying to ignore it and pretend it isn’t by there by “not focussing” on it is unhealthy and doesn’t let you work through grief.
It is much better to accept it and just feel it. It is also better to be able to accept those circumstances for yourself that you cannot change. Acceptance of course doesn’t mean you have to be “happy” about it, but you could come to some sort of peace overtime and not let it overwhelm you.
There is a whole industry out there that is promoting David’s mantra, the most extreme is something like the Secret, which is really hoodwinking people out of their money. Humans must have critical thinking. If something is bad then it’s bad. It’s just the way it is. Not everything has a silver lining. If you can change it, sure change it. If not, try and accept it the best you can.
Not all critical thinking and acceptance is sabotaging. David’s overly broad and generalised statements suggest otherwise.
I would be very interested to hear what advice he would give to a HIV positive, starving african child in terms of his personal philosophy.
February 9, 2010 at 10:26 am
I agree.
February 9, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Simple answer if the starving HIV positive child, came to a state of peace about his situation then he would be put in a situation that gave him the ability to help himself OR he would then be able not to fear death and make his transition without attachment. Also HIV is curable through 2 ways oxygen doping your blood, and “spontaneous” recovery where your body uses its chemistry to fix itself just like what happened with SARS and west nile. My theory is that its a type of fungus.
February 10, 2010 at 5:54 am
Hugo,
It is outrageous to suggest that if these poor young children somehow think positively that they will be able to magically get up and change their circumstances. I think your just being obtuse now, no reasonable person would ever truly believe that of these poor children and the plight they face.
As for the death component, death is probably welcome, considering they are probably in agony, not too mention starving to death. Sometimes there are worse things than death.
In respect of cures – starving african children with HIV are unlikely to have access to such extravagant treatments. In addition, self curing by pure will has never been proven scientifically to my knowledge. If it has been proven, by all means provide the links to the relevant medical journals.
February 10, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Medical journals are policed by drug companies. They are the last ones to “prove” self cure. Oxygen doping is far from extravagant which is why again drug companies have had it banned, because athletes could use it to cheat. It is simple and cheap, in other words bad for doctors and bad for industry.
I also did not say “think positively” I said “come to a state of peace” there is a vast difference.
February 9, 2010 at 8:23 am
I’m thinking of flying first class to the UK tomorrow evening!
I’m thinking of sunny weather there, too.
So far, so good.
February 9, 2010 at 10:02 am
Thank you, internet boyfriend. LOL
February 9, 2010 at 10:07 am
Davey and Rory are both partly right. There are many ppl who lack confidence, self-esteem, and other inner qualities to make a firm decision about what they need or want and pursue it with vigor until they attain it. This is a very common trait these day, especially among middle class white boys. To encourage them to take hold of life parents often say, You can do/be anything you want.” But all the evidence says, “No way!” However, it is very often true that we can do much more than we think we can. This, again, is true of middle and upper class guys who have the resources ($$, education, social and cultural capital).
But Rory is also correct. What we can expect and attain is critically connected circumstances. Ppl may not even be able to conceptualize a different or better future for themselves because they are controlled by natural forces (earthquakes, hurricanes, chronic poor health etc.) or by the social control exerted by or dictatorial or authoritarian governments, religions, etc. This is why it seems a surprise as the few who do make strides to greater heights come to public notice.
February 9, 2010 at 10:11 am
Addendum: Why must we speak so often in “either/or” terms rather than “both/and” terms?
February 9, 2010 at 7:09 pm
The more I know the more I don’t. ( you’re free to quote me on that because I believe no one else owns it.)