When Nothing Seems to Work

There seems to be a million different self-help, self-improvement, and life-enhancement books and programs out there; and oftentimes, none of them seem to work. As long as people have talked about the power of positive thinking, there have been people who have said, “Bah-humbug! This doesn’t work!” Have you ever wondered what makes a cynical scrooge an expert on positive thinking?

There are two components to making your thoughts really count. First, there is what you think; this is your prayer, or the plan you are “trying” to make work. Remember; if you’re trying too hard, you are not relaxed. The other component is HOW you think, or more specifically, how your thinking is polarized – positively, or negatively. If your perspective is negative, the only way the Universe can respond is to bring you that which you greatly fear. If you can’t seem to think positively, release the negative thought patterns by putting your attention on serving and blessing others. When you begin giving from the heart, you will begin thinking with the heart; when you learn to think with the heart, you will soon learn to believe with your heart and your life will unfold for you “as you believeth in your heart.” When you can’t seem to make things work, let them.

Learning to Let-go

Praying, meditating, contemplating, dreaming, planning, obsessing, thinking, wondering, remembering, focusing, and concentrating, are all mental activities. These aren’t the only words for the things we do with our minds; but this list should be long enough for you to see that there are many different mental activities that we would simply consider to be “thinking.” What do you think the big difference between praying and obsessing is? What do you believe to be the filter between one kind of thought and another – the “switch” that makes the Universe listen to some thoughts and ignore others? In case you haven’t noticed, your “negative” thoughts are “answered” just like prayers; they come to visit you in the form of health problems and unfortunate events and circumstances.

Practices such as meditation are designed to help you let-go of those thoughts which upset your health by causing noise and stress in your nervous system and stimulating the systems of your body in a chaotic and disruptive manner. Medical science has estimated that perhaps 95% of all trips to the doctor’s office are due to stress-related complaints; and stress is caused by our perceptions – the way we think about our lives. In other words, by simply learning how to release, or let-go of, thoughts which upset your nervous system, you can eliminate stress and the health problems it causes – such as unwanted weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, Fibromyalgia, and most other chronic pains and illnesses.

Remember; you are not your mind and you are not your thoughts. When meditating, thoughts arise just as they always do for all of us; but you can look at the thoughts which arise, and notice that they are only thoughts. No matter how distressing a thought may be, it will not upset you if you have learned how to release it and allow your mind to rest, or settle on another, more pleasant thought, or a thought of peace, love, joy, kindness, compassion, health, or gratitude. When you become aware of a distressing thought, simply stop and say to your mind, “Thank you for sharing!” and then put your mind at ease by thinking about something worth thinking about. A relaxed mind will lead to a relaxed body – and a relaxed life.

by Pete Koerner of Explore * Expand * Evolve with Pete & Jennifer Koerner