The Principle of Thought

    When I was in the Young Women program at Church and in charge of the MIA Maids (14&15 year old girls) we had a night that we made collages.  I had cut out lots of pictures and phrases out of  New Era and Ensign Magazines to use for our collage which was to focus on "how to live the gospel daily". 
 
I had so much fun creating my collage beforehand to take for a sample to let the girls see what they could look like.  It actually took a little while to put mine together since I was actually intending to look at mine daily to remind me what I really wanted out of life.  It sits on the shelf in my office above my computer visible for me to look at daily.   My absolute favorite quote on my collage is one from Pres. Ezra Taft Benson which says, "If our thoughts make us what we are, and we are to be like Christ, then we must think Christlike thoughts."

  I absolutely love the phrase, " if our thoughts make us what we are".  I hadn't really thought about this principle of thought before I certified in Rapid Eye Technology.  In the model of RET there are 7 life skills or life principles that, when practiced, help change patterns of behavior which in turn helps in dealing with daily life and all that that encompasses.  Since I have completed that training several times I have noticed that principle talked about in more places.  (interesting how changing our focus opens our eyes to more things we're focusing on)
   
Thought is the beginning of all creation.  Everything that is in existence was once a thought.  We are free to think anything we want even if it sometimes doesn't feel that way.  When we think a thought and add energy to that thought we get results.  I have thought about doing this blog for quite a while; I thought that if I put this "out there" that it might help me to learn and grow and hopefully others would join in on the discussion.  (I love a good discussion!)   BUT then I had the thought that I couldn't possibly do something like this; I'm not a writer;  I just have lots of ideas (lots and lots of thoughts) but who would want to read it or even participate?  So that thought, the fear of insecurity, fear of failure, kept me from doing this for several months using a skill that I have honed well: procrastination.   The day I actually created this blog I had the thought, "just do it!", and  I chose to follow that thought which felt really good (the fear & insecurity did not leave me; I just chose to ignore the uncomfortableness and step out of my comfort zone).
    
Spencer W. Kimball stated in his book, The Miracle of Forgiveness, "As a man thinketh, so is he' (Proverbs 23:7) could equally well be rendered "As a man thinketh, so does he'.  If one thinks it long enough he is likely to do it."   I have compared thought to the seed that a great tree grows out of.  We have to plant the seed first and then the tree grows mighty and strong.  Our thoughts (and we do have the ability to control them-maybe that's another subject; how to control our thoughts?) make us who we are. 
  
So with the thought of "thinking Christlike thoughts" what will I do today?  I know whatever it is, it will be Christlike as long as I keep that thought in the front of my mind.