You are what you think.
That is the title of an article in March 2017 in Psychology Today by counselors Lisa Ferentz. [
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/healing-trauma-s-wounds/201703/you-are-what-you-think?eml click ]
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “You are what you think all day long.”
Is this true?
The Christian Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:2
[2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (ESV)
Positive Example
Philippians 4:8
[8] Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (ESV)
Negative example
Mark 8:33
[33] But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. (ESV)
I think you are what you think has a Biblical basis. Or as Christian author Darrow Miller says, "ideas have consequences."
How to think on an idea.
Mental Game One
Can you think about the color green? A dog? An equilateral triangle?
Can you not think about an apple? A ladder? Santa Claus?
Can you think about nothing?
Can you count backwards by 3s starting from 99 and stop 66?
Can you think about 2 things at the same time?
What are some thoughts you should not think? Suicide. Revenge. Hate.
2 Corinthians 10:5
[5] We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (ESV)
James ,1:8 and ,,4:8 double minded , 2 souls
Mental Game 2
Label These Ideas
True or False
Important or Unimportant
Interesting or boring
Red, Blue, and Yellow are primary colors
Food is purchased in stores.
Alpha, beta, gamma are the first 3 Greek letters
A triangle with side lengths of 3,4, and 5 has a 90 angle opposite the side of length 5.
Space has 3 dimensions.
There is a God.
The sun and the moon orbit the earth.
I am ugly.
The sun is God.
Cornbread is sweet,
Food is grown on farms.
I can not change.
No one understands me.
The only reality is physical in nature.
The sun will rise tomorrow.
Thomas Jefferson was the second Vice President of the USA.
God made the world in 6 literal days.
The earth is spherical.
Sex is only for procreation.
God chooses who will be saved.
Demons are real.
God dictated the Bible.
Crystals focus spiritual forces.
Allah is God.
All birds can fly.
Time is a constant,
I weigh the same on the equator and the North Pole.
The universe has a boundary.
I am stupid.
Coal is bad.
All drugs should be legal.
Bourbon is evil.
Pleasure is evil.
He who has the gold rules.
Vengeance is ok.
Murder is wrong.
A little white lie never hurt anyone.
Money is evil.
Nudity is evil.
It is wrong to eat animals,
Satan is real.
Spiders are dangerous.
Rats are good pets.
Insects are food.
Drinking Lysol cures disease.
Suicide is ok.
Abortion is evil.
Our entire life we encounter circumstances which engender ideas which we evaluate and archive. The interesting, important, true file becomes the means by which we archive new ideas and thus if a mistake was made it tends to perpetuate itself.
For example a 10 year old grandchild on vacation in the mountains hikes in the woods with his grandmother raised in the mountains. To the grandmother teaberry is a green leaf to chew for pleasure. The child believes food is grown on farms and comes from stores. The child feels fear. He was scolded more than once for putting grass in his mouth. But, he also trusts the character of his grandmother. He watches the grandmother chew the leaf. He accepts one from the trusted hand of his grandmother. To his surprise it tastes just like bubblegum!!! The child will now begins to rearrange his filing system. His worldview just changed for the better.
If Emerson was correct we can change who we are by controlling what we think about. The entertainment industry is built on this premise. The last commercial I saw was for Old Navy clothing brand. I recall exciting music and multiple examples of very happy, healthy, prosperous people trying to convince me the Old Navy clothing brand is the key to happiness. I assume they don't spend money on advertising unless it has proven profitable in the past. I can still recall commercial jingles for cigarettes, soap, hot dogs, etc from my childhood. What are the dogs kids love to bite?
Garbage in, Garbage out
