“What a man thinketh…”

When I was a little girl, I was fascinated by magic.  One Christmas I received a “magic box” as a present.  In the box was a black wand that I spent the entire day swinging around at everything and everyone, casting spells and trying to make my wishes come true.  It was quite a disappointment when I realized that the wand wouldn’t give me real magic…

Then, I learned that magic was all about tricks, and till this day I love any magic trick, especially card tricks!  It took me years, though, to accept that the magic in life is not in the wand, but rather in the thoughts of the one holding it…

The day we realize that thoughts are real things, we become much more mindful of what we think and say.  It’s my sincere conviction that the thoughts we have ultimately manifest into our physical world.  And I’m not the only one to think so…

American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “A man is what he thinks about all day.”  And the American speaker, Earl Nightingale, said: “We become what we think about, most of the time…”

In the Netflix movie, “Brian Banks”, the high school football linebacker is falsely accused of rape, convicted, and sent to prison for 5 years.  Upon his release he attempts to fulfil his dream of making the National Football League.   While in prison, almost on the brink of despair, he meets a mentor, Jerome Johnson, played by the legendary Morgan Freeman…

Johnson tells Banks: “Your despair can become a doorway”, and that “all you can control in life, is how you respond to life.”  He also hands Brian a book, “As a man thinketh”, by James Allen.  Obviously, I was intrigued to learn more, and although I couldn’t manage to find a copy, I found a stunning summary online.

This book, written more than a century ago, is a classic self-help book that emphasizes the power of thought in shaping one’s life.  It inspires readers to take control of their thoughts, and in turn, take control of their destiny.

Sounds like the usual bunch of sentimental crap, doesn’t it?  Maybe, but maybe not.  Our Winter Challenge of 13 long weeks started last week, and I am already confronted with the realization that, just as before, each participant’s success and efforts are going to depend, almost entirely, on their train of thought.

Yes, of course, there are always unforeseen setbacks, like sickness, death, injuries, and personal challenges, but, in the end, our actions will still be an outgrowth of our thoughts.  ATTITUDE and ACTION, these two things are closely related.

The words we say to ourselves – that is make or break.  We are all familiar with lines like,”I am not a morning person”, “It’s simply impossible for me to lose 5 kg in winter”, “I can’t drink water”. Etc. etc. etc…Part of the fame of Allen’s book is its conception that “circumstances do not make a person, they reveal them…” The only way we can rise, conquer, and achieve, is by lifting up our thoughts.

It’s actually quite a sobering thought to realize that we have no one else to blame for our present condition except ourselves.  Everything is up to us, and in Allen’s words: “The real problem is not the problem.  The real problem is how we think about the problem.”  Let’s be honest for a moment – most of us are anxious to improve our circumstances, but we are unwilling or reluctant to improve ourselves – and therefore we remain bound.

Our thoughts are real things – and each of us have around 60 000 of them per day!  Everything you have ever thought has brought you to where you are right now.  And everything you’re still to think up in the future will bring you somewhere too.

If you’re serious about reaching the goals that have eluded you so far, it’s time to think differently about your thoughts.  A thought is just a thought, until you think it a million times.  Then it becomes your reality.  I’m not saying you’ll turn into a doughnut if you think about it the whole time.  But if you tell yourself a million times a day that you’re not ready to join the gym, you won’t.  Ever.  If you ask yourself constantly, “Can I really do this?”, “Am I good enough to try?”, “What if I fail?”, you have no chance at succeeding.

That’s why forming new and lasting habits are crucial – take the example of a mighty oak tree.  It’s not toppled with one swing of the axe.  It takes tens, hundreds, or even thousands of tiny, small chops to bring it down.  But in the end, even the mightiest of trees will fall to the sharp swift blade of the axe.  In the same way repetition rewires our brains and breed habits.

Ghandi said: “Your beliefs become your thoughts.  Your thoughts become your words.  Your words become your actions.  And your actions become your habits…”  (If you’re a Challenge member, send this quote to Mirna for an extra point before 20.00 today.)

So, let’s decide to react better to what happen to us, let’s choose our thoughts mindfully and carefully, and then, let’s take action.  It starts with one day going to the gym, then another, and another, until you’re totally hooked. 

A man IS what he thinketh…What we think IS what we become.  “Show me your life, and I’ll show you your thoughts”, writes Julieanne O’Connor in her book “Spelling it out for your career.”  A mouthful?  Oh yes.  It’s indeed both comforting and scary to know that my thoughts are constructing what I become.  Comforting, because I have a degree of control over my thoughts. Scary, because I am ultimately responsible for my thoughts thus what I become.   

But, above all, it’s ensuring to know that if I can change my thoughts, I can change my world.  And for this I don’t need a magical, small, black wand.  Just the will to decide.

Yours in fitness

Mirna
082 779 0507