The Power of Thought
Bill Bowers, M.I., Artist, Spiritual Director
What you think is where you live. It’s the difference between being a victim of what life throws at you or your being vibrantly alive and in charge. Your thoughts and the power of the emotion behind them are NUCLEAR. They are that strong.
There is a living non-matter substance of the Universe which permeates, penetrates, and fills everything. Much like the wind, you don t see it, but you feel its effects. When you create a thought, this living substance helps produce the image you put out regardless of whether or not it is positive or negative. Your emotion and electromagnetic signals emitted from your physical body can produce the idea into matter or realization. This is how precious gold and other metals are formed as well as rust. We all pick up on people's “vibes”. We can also react by habit, rather than observing our perceptions and alter them. Thus you’ve heard of the expression, ‘a self fulfilling prophecy’. You are what you think. So what do you want to draw to you that you are lacking?
We can form things in our minds, and using real emotion or inspiration the message vibrates out like sound waves into that Universal Substance. We then set in effect the idea in motion - a transmission blueprint is made, so to speak. The law of cause and effect (reaping and sowing, in religious terms) has to comply. Realizing the impact of this truth can have a profound impact on your life. So the trick is to start paying attention to what you tell yourself, and observe if your self talk is positive or negative. A simple statement as “Nothing good ever lasts!” can hypnotically make you give up too soon or prevent further success.
One of the most common forms of suicide in today’s society is verbal. We can kill people off, and even our own self-respect, with the almighty practice of gossip!! A vicious tongue tearing down our own kind has very negative health effects on our own physical body. Like smoking tobacco, it may feel good at the moment, but there is absolutely nothing beneficial nutritionally or emotionally. Tearing a fellow human down is like self mutilation. Bitter unhappy cynical gossipers, like smokers, are three times more susceptible to cancers. Cancer cells turn in on your own body and eat away at it. So does hate, stress, and criticism. I’m not saying this as moral judgment. I’m saying this as clinical fact and consequence… things that make you wonder! So we all want to start observing our speech and our heart's motives behind the words.
So how do we create new reality in our lives through thought? Metaphysical circles and oriental philosophy call it manifesting. Bringing things to you by just thinking happy thoughts is not exactly what I mean. There has to be strong desire, inspiration, and a confident sense of being worthy of that which you would like to bring into your life. This is not so easy if you have issues around the goal. After all a desire is nothing more than a dream looking for concrete expression. If you’ve never been successful at romance but are a financial wiz kid you have core beliefs that allow this to be. I am a professional artist, psychic medium, and singer. But I have very little skill or interest in accounting, mechanics, or sports. So, if I hold the thought, “I will never be good at those things”, I miss a whole new realm of possibilities. I would probably enjoy all these things if I could shift my perception. For example… a basketball team tried an experiment, splitting up into three groups. Group one practiced shooting hoops. Group two sat and visualized shooting hoops. Group three did nothing. Group one and two improved at practically the same rate, but group three did not improve at all. This experiment demonstrates that a lack of attention to your goals by carelessness or lazy thinking can block you from attaining your goals. Being “psyched” can bring them quickly. Many a battle has been lost or won depending on whether or not the soldiers were intimidated or confident.
A person can not really experience life to the fullest without believing intrinsically that they are worthy of abundant resources and freedom from excessive stress. Good food, shelter, and relationships are all enhanced by the effective generation of a happy disposition. There is always something to find joy in, somewhere in your life. You just have to look for it.
Without criticism of yourself or others, start being aware of the power of negativity. Pay attention to how many times a day you hear a negative statement, including catching yourself. Observe the facial expressions while the person is speaking. Listen to how much good news and bad news are in the headlines and on broadcasts. Pay attention to how your body feels receiving such data. Now listen to an encouraging story from a friend, watch a comedy, or tell someone you love them and notice the reaction. Genuinely compliment someone you don’t exactly get along with and see how the energy changes between you. See them as a mirror. Begin to benefit yourself and others by successfully navigating the power of your thoughts.
—Bill Bowers
M.I., Artist, Spiritual Director
(This article was published in our 1st Qtr 2007 Newsletter)
Bill offers guidance, consultation, and classes. He may be contacted through his website:
