Recently, in a moment of feeling very deeply about a hurtful reminder from my past, I realized that I could either entertain the thoughts around it, or I could choose to think differently about it, which in turn, would help me feel differently about it.
I’m always reciting the same painful narratives in my head. And I’ve allowed these narratives to set the course of my emotional state, which is why I often feel like I’m going in the same circles emotionally.
There are some thoughts from past that I haven’t let go, but in order to achieve true emotional peace, I have to learn to overcome them by replacing them. I can’t keep masking my emotions, and expect to have peace if I haven’t learned how to actually conquer the thoughts that cause those emotions to come.
Now, I realize that whenever I’m attacked with thoughts of the past, I still have a choice to think new thoughts. I don’t have to keep entertaining the same unwanted reminders about my past, I just choose to. So why do I continue to recite narratives from the past that do nothing but make my emotional wounds worse?
What if whenever those thoughts do attack, I take that opportunity to exercise my choice to think a different thought. Instead of capturing the unwanted thought, and analyzing it like I normally do, I can release that thought, and replace it with a new thought that brings me peace instead.
This is not easy at all. It’s really hard for me not to analyze the past and think what I could’ve done differently to avoid the pain I’m feeling now, but if I want to start feeling better now, then I have to make the choice to think differently now. I can’t keep replaying the same old thoughts, and expect to go any further on this journey.
Bottom line: my emotions won’t change, if my thoughts don’t change. When I start reciting narratives of hope and peace, my emotions will reflect those thoughts, and exercising that habit will bring me closer and closer to emotional wholeness.
Until next time.
