“As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts, can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.”—James Allen
Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, and many others are most certainly inspirational, but the writers I turn to most are the truly “old school” self-help gurus. Before there were the mega personalities, there were James Allen (1864-1912) and Orison Swett Marden (1850-1924)—my two personal favorites. Allen wrote, As a Man Thinketh, in 1903. Marden was quite prolific, writing more than fifty books and booklets, as well as founding SUCCESS magazine. Central to their writing is the knowledge that one’s thoughts influence one’s actions (and vice versa). The thread of their writings has greatly influenced my understanding of “well-centered fitness”.
While it is an easy concept to understand, the idea that one’s attitude shapes one’s attitude is often difficult to apply. It takes constant deliberation. It takes practice and the understanding that attitude is not an end game. Pursuit of well-thinking follows the asymptote concept—we grow in the direction of right thinking, but we never quite arrive at perfection. Attitude is a pursuit of continuous growth.
Attitude is constantly shaping and reshaping. It is changes to the degree we allow it in the moment. Left uncontrolled, our attitude and demeanor are tossed around like a leaf in the wind.
One of the most important actions we can take in a day is to grab the reigns of our thoughts and direct them toward “success”. This begins the moment we rise from sleep. We need to “wake up on the right side of the bed”, so to speak. We have to take control and maintain control throughout the day. Invariably, we will lose control at times, but, in such moments, we have a choice: do we take back control or do we succumb to the forces around us? This seems like it should be an easy choice, but in reality the easiest path is to submit to the forces around us (and, hopefully, we are surrounded by positive persons).
I have to regularly go back and reread As a Man Thinketh (which is a short and easy read, by the way) and The Miracle of Right Thought (Marden). These act as a compass for me and help me right the course (and for full disclosure, I get off course quite regularly!). In addition, I must include in my growth plan activities that help regulate my thoughts (journaling, reading, meditation, etc.)
This summer, having the opportunity to work with my Fundamentals of High Performance cohort, I felt that I had myself on a really good path. It was summer break, so I wasn’t teaching. I had ample time to schedule my time, read, journal, work on my goals, and just ponder my “well-centeredness”. As the fall term approached, I realized that deep down I lacked the confidence to maintain control once I returned to campus. My mentor, Coyte Cooper, called me out on this. I had made a comment that things were going well and I was just waiting for everything to hit the fan. He made me realize that it is my choice how I respond. This set me on a course of preparation.
What was made clear to me was (as I already understood, but, is a personal asymptote in my pursuit of well-centered fitness) that I needed to take much more assertive action against the negative forces acting in my life. I turned my focus from the perceived negatives in being where I am at this moment in time to the opportunities that are before me. This was liberating!
For so many years, I have felt that I have been practicing positive thinking (albeit imperfectly). In reality, I was merely giving lip service to the power of positive thinking. As soon as a challenge would present itself, I was easily knocked off course. I really did not have control.
I have come to see the “fruit of the Holy Spirit” (Galatians 5:22; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control) no longer as a “gift”, but as something that requires cultivation—effort. Right thinking is a constant challenge. It necessitates practice and careful control over the moment between the stimulus and the response. It requires preparation. It requires a fertile environment.
We chose our thoughts. It is our responsibility to take. There is no one else to blame. There are no circumstances to blame. Our attitude is our charge. If we exercise right thought, we will generate the momentum to overcome the forces that might divert our thought.
“You can’t think your way into right action, but you can act your way into right thinking.”—Bill Wilson
Carpe momento!