Have you ever stopped and paid attention to the way you talk to yourself?
“I can’t do this.”
“Today is going to be a bad day.”
“Nothing ever works out for me.”
Sometimes these thoughts seem small and harmless. But what we continually focus on can influence the direction we take, the choices we make, and the way we experience the world around us.
D.D. Palmer, the founders of chiropractic, is credited with a quote that has stuck with me throughout chiropractic school:
“You never know how far reaching something you think, say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow.”
Your thoughts matter.
Where Are You Steering Your Ship?
Think about your life like a ship. You are standing at the wheel, and every day you are making small adjustments to its direction. If you’re constantly focused on fear, doubt, negativity, and everything that could go wrong, where are you steering?
But what happens when you intentionally turn your attention toward truth, gratitude, love, hope, and joy? The circumstances around the ship may not immediately change, but its direction can. You can’t control every storm that comes your way, but you can be intentional about where you’re steering through it.
What Are You Rehearsing in Your Mind?
Athletes have used visualization and mental rehearsal for decades. A basketball player might mentally rehearse a free throw, the position of the body, the movement of the arms, the release of the ball, and the ball going through the hoop. Why? Because your mind is involved in how you prepare, learn, respond, and perform.
Think about what you mentally rehearse throughout your own day. Are you constantly imagining everything that could go wrong? Or are you reminding yourself: I can take the next step. I can learn from this. I can choose how I respond. God is still with me in this situation. Be intentional about what you rehearse in your mind.
Take Your Thoughts Captive
The Bible speaks directly about our thoughts: “We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.” 2 Corinthians 10:5, TPT
Notice that Scripture doesn’t tell us we’ll never experience a negative thought. Instead, we’re told to take our thoughts captive. We don’t have to believe every thought that enters our minds. We can stop and ask: Is this true? Is this helping me move toward where God is calling me? Am I dwelling on fear or am I dwelling on truth?
Choose Your Direction
Maybe you woke up this morning and it’s cold, cloudy, and raining. You could immediately think: “Great. Today’s going to be miserable.” And suddenly that thought begins influencing your attitude, your conversations, and potentially even the people around you.
Or you can recognize that you don’t control the weather, but you do have a choice in how you respond to it. The same principle applies to much bigger circumstances. We can’t control everything happening in the world. We can’t control everything other people say. We can’t control every difficult situation that enters our lives. But we can be intentional about what we allow ourselves to continually dwell on.
A Challenge for This Week
Pay attention to your thoughts. When you notice yourself repeatedly thinking something negative, fearful, or self-defeating, stop for a moment. Ask yourself:
Is this actually true?
Is this thought helping me?
What does God say about this?
What would it look like to choose truth, love, or joy instead?
You don’t need to pretend that difficult circumstances don’t exist. Choosing joy doesn’t mean ignoring reality. It means refusing to allow your circumstances to completely determine the direction of your heart and mind.
A Final Thought
The world can be messy. Life can be difficult and storms will come. But remember you still have a hand on the wheel and be careful where you’re steering your ship. Be careful what you’re continually thinking about yourself, your circumstances, and your future. Choose truth. Choose life. Choose love. Choose joy.
Because you never know how something you think, say, or do today may affect your life and the lives of the people around you tomorrow.
Have a blessed week,
Dr. Luke
