Ripples on the Waters of Thought

A splash is something that rocks our thinking. It can be the death of a friend, the loss of a pet, or an accident on the highway. It is a wake-up call, hopefully causing us to reconsider what we are doing and where we’re going.

Far more subtle and far more dangerous are the little ripples of thought. The “I can’t,” when we truly could. The “I shouldn’t,” when we really should. And the “it can’t work,” when it truly would.

As Earl Nightingale so clearly said, “We become what we think about.”

Many people talk themselves out of a good life with their self-talk - - what they say to themselves. Negative self-talk undermines self-confidence, which in turn destroys the will to act.

When someone truly begins to discover what they can do, outside forces can’t slow them down. As proven by the unlikely human beings who have accomplished so much, the average adult goes to the grave having used less than 10% of their talents and capabilities.

How can we use more? The laws of success aren’t new. They’re the same today as they have always been. It doesn’t matter whether or not we are aware of the law of cause and effect. That law is forever active in our life. And it doesn’t matter whether or not we believe in God - - “As ye sow, so shall ye reap” is a non-optional absolute reality.

When we claim that something is difficult, it becomes difficult. When we claim that something is beyond our each, it becomes beyond our reach. Our beliefs determine our reality.

How can we improve our reach? The process begins by taking control of our self-talk. When tempted to claim “I can’t,” replace it with “maybe I can.” When tempted to say “I shouldn’t,” replace it with “maybe I should.” And, when tempted to claim “it won’t work,” replace that with “nobody knows until they’ve tried.”

People who achieve their dreams do so by never taking “no” for the final answer. They look for a way. And they find the way, when they are willing.

And so can you.