One Thought at a Time (More Reflections on September 11)

I harm or heal myself
One thought at a time.
I discover myself and others
One thought at a time.
I live my life
One thought at a time.

My telephone rings,
I choose a thought.
I choose to choose from among the many positive thoughts.
A connection with the outside world.
A friend. A client. Information. Happy News.
Appreciation. Technology. An answer.

Negative thoughts are just as plentiful,
I have explored those thoughts, too.
Negative thoughts pair up with negative feelings.
Negative feelings do not feel good.
And so in the middle of a cacophony of negative thoughts,
I find the least negative thought,
It is a lifeline out of the negativity.
That one thought helps me find a slightly positive thought,
And then a truly positive thought.
One thought at a time.

I do not leap to joy in the midst of disaster,
I move myself there,
One thought at a time.
From fear or despair,
I move to joy through many thoughts,
One thought at a time.
From mild irritation,
I move to joy in a few thoughts,
One thought at a time.

Images of explosions invoke in me
Feelings of horror and thoughts of injustice.
Of all the possible sad thoughts, I choose
The one that is the least sad.
I breathe.
From that less sad thought,
I choose a slightly more positive thought.
I have a right to choose a more negative thought,
But that makes me more sad, so I move the other way,
One thought at a time.

I am gentle with myself.
When I find myself in the midst of unhappy thoughts,
I move myself out of the unhappiness
One thought at a time.
I move myself to happiness
One thought at a time.

I do this everyday,
Many times a day,
One thought at a time. nnnn