Watching What I Think



Good thing that people aren’t mind readers, because some of my thoughts aren’t always nice. My impatience vents inside my brain, but self-control keeps the words within. Unfortunately, it's kind of like mental trash talk.

Last week’s challenge had me evaluate what I said. Now I am considering what I think about. I really need to short-circuit the rude thoughts. Do they really do any good? No one but me experiences them and all of those negative feelings are left inside me.

To be fair, I’m usually a cheerful soul. But get me behind a slow driver, or a person with 20 items in the fast checkout, and storm clouds brew. Recently I even verbalized my thoughts because I was by myself in the car, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for a dreadfully slow woman to cross the street. Hearing my thoughts aloud made me realize how awful they were. It was like a Heavenly mirror held up for me to see how selfish I was being. Oh, is that really me?

I decided to reverse my thinking. I try and imagine what’s going on in their world. What could their life be like right now? Do I want to trade places? Probably not.

Now instead of fuming, I take time to study their features. Like the elderly woman in the grocery line struggling to understand the debit machine. Fading eyesight prevented her from reading the commands, so she gave up and slowly counted out her money. As she shuffled away with her rolling cart, I was humbled, because I am still so capable, while she faces more hardships than I even know.

So my challenge this week, and each one to follow, is to control my thoughts. When I am forced to slow down and wait for someone, I will try and see it as an opportunity to have a few extra minutes to relax and truly be thankful for all that is good.

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