Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by H. Norman Wright DMin. from his book, A Better Way to Think: Using Positive Thoughts to Change Your Life (p.16). Baker Publishing Group (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) So, what does he mean by that? Norman says, “Self-talk is simply the thoughts you tell yourself. For example, Melanie may step out of the house, notice it’s raining, and think, ‘Great, the yard needed some water.’ On the other hand, her friend Rhonda, who feeds herself a steady diet of negative self-talk, would probably think, ‘Oh, rats! Now I’ll get my hair and shoes wet. And it will be rough driving into work. And I’ll probably catch a cold. And...’ You get the picture.” Norman goes on, “Thoughts follow specific pathways in the brain. When a thought occurs, the part of the brain called the thalamus goes to work making sense of the information and running it through the part of the brain that stores memories, the amygdala. In her book, Dr. Leaf notes: Remembe...

A thought by H. Norman Wright DMin. from his book, A Better Way to Think: Using Positive Thoughts to Change Your Life (p.15). Baker Publishing Group (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Norman starts this section in another direction.   He says, “Thoughts can create stress in our life. And it’s been well documented that stress negatively affects health in many ways.” He then says, “Humor, on the other hand, helps your brain function in a healthy way. In reacting to humor, both sides of the brain are activated simultaneously. When you tell a joke, the left side—the part responsible for thinking—starts firing. When you ‘get’ a joke and start laughing, your right side becomes active. “Research indicates that people tend to be more creative when they see something as funny. Other studies suggest that laughter helps increase the flexibility and creativity of thinking. Humor even has been used to help strengthen the immune system.” “He goe...

A thought by H. Norman Wright DMin. from his book, A Better Way to Think: Using Positive Thoughts to Change Your Life (p.14). Baker Publishing Group (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That’s a good question. Norman says, “We’re just talking about harmless thoughts, right? “Wrong. The truth is, the content of your thoughts matters a lot. You see, our thoughts can limit who we are and what we become, or they can act as the catalyst prompting us forward in our lives. “Our thoughts influence our character, shape our attitudes, determine our behaviors, affect our spirituality, and even influence the immune system, says author, educator, and psychologist Archibald Hart.  ‘Your thinking determines whether you will be happy or sad most of the time. It even determines if you’ll get married.’ he says.” Norman goes on, “Let’s assume this day isn’t going so well for you. There have been frustrations and setbacks—other people not following...