What Ya Thinkin’?

The theme of the past week has been the thoughts that we roll over and over in our heads. To use one of my favorite words, it is the things about which we perseverate.

In my meditation group last week, the assigned “homework” was to notice one of these persistent thoughts and really take it out and examine it and its origins. These are things you choose to believe, worry about or obsess over.

Then came the conversation about mantras. Is it important to have a mantra? Why are mantras used? Is meditation as effective without one? Mantras are effective because repeating something over and over resets the brain. Then here is the kicker – we “chant” mantras every day but do not think of them as such.

“I’m fat.”

“I’m old”

“I’m poor”

“I’m not loveable”

 We think of them as negative thoughts or hidden beliefs because in our minds, mantras can only be uplifting and positive. Not so! They are simply a repetitive statement “chanted” over and over. So, before you worry about a guru and the mantra you will be given, you might want to look at what you chant to yourself on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis.

This brings me back to last week’s homework, pick one of the thoughts that you have on replay and change it. When someone says “I can’t” or “I’m alone” long enough, they wire themselves to believe it. It becomes reality.

Every word is a seed you sow, and it will bloom and grow. If you send fear, you will find more fear. If you send love, you will see more love. If you send gratitude, you will find more things for which to be grateful.

It becomes not, “What do you want?” but rather “What are you truly asking for each day?”

Choose carefully. Enjoy the reset.