I was recently interviewed on the topic of Internet Marketing. A far cry from spiritual topics – or is it. At the halfway mark listeners were invited to send in questions.
One listener was intrigued by the discussion the host and I had on one’s thinking and how it impacts every aspect of your life, including how you market your business.
We talked about the importance of noticing what your primary thoughts are. If they serve you, great. If they are not serving you do what you can to shift them. You must also notice how you spend your time since what you put into your mind has a major impact on thought processes. For example, the television shows you watch, what you read, and what types of conversations you listen to and engage in can either move you to a higher level of thinking or not.
The listener’s question went something like this, “How can I control what I think if other people in my home are always watching the news or violent television programs or engaging in gossip and negative talk?"
This is not an uncommon question. The reality is, no one controls your thoughts. If you are in an environment that supports negative thinking rather than positive, you have a few choices. One, don't watch the television programs that do not support the kind of thinking and feelings you would like
to cultivate. Two, don't engage in the conversations that are judgmental, negative, petty or counterproductive to the thinking and feelings you would like to cultivate. Three, don't read books, magazines and newspapers that are filled with gloom and doom.
Take time to read and watch information that supports a more productive way of living in the world. With all that is available via the Internet, your local book store, garage sales, thrift shops, etc., there is plenty of information out there for you to choose from.
Granted, it won't necessarily be easy to go from an environment that doesn't support a more positive and productive way of being to one that is more serene. In fact, there are some environments in which someone would be ridiculed for simply mentioning they don't want to engage in negative
conversation nor watch programs that don't enhance their life. Often, the pressure can be so great, one believes they must be way off base to think they have the right to step out of the norm of the family (or circle of friends).
In this case, you may have to be selective in whom you share what you are trying to do with. Afterall, any shift you make can be viewed as a threat to the status quo. When people feel threatened they can become fearful. When they become fearful, they may become angry. It has been said that anger and fear are the two sides of the same coin.
Initially, it can be difficult to decifer if shifting your actions and beliefs are worth it. And yet, as you make the transition from feeling stuck to knowing how powerful your thoughts really are, it becomes easier and easier to hold true to what you need.
It is in the knowledge and the willingness to forge forward on your path that you truly find the space for gratitude and joy.
Wishing you many blessings,
Kathleen Gage
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