From a Comedy Central skit, featuring Bob Newhart as a psychiatrist:
The patient comes to his office and says, “I am worried about being buried alive in a box.” The psychiatrist says, “Stop it.” The patient goes on to say, “I am bulimic. I stick my fingers down my throat.” The psychiatrist again says, “Stop it.” Finally, the patient says, “I get so worried about driving.” Again, the psychiatrist says, “Stop it!”
This skit was mentioned in a podcast I listened to the other day. The host is a neuroscientist who studies the power of the mind to change the brain and control chaotic thinking. Her guest is a psychiatrist who turned mindfulness research into effective treatment for bad habits and addiction. It was a fascinating discussion of your mind and the control you have over your thoughts. Of course, the above skit was a tongue-in-cheek illustration that we can control the thoughts that we allow to ‘live’ in our minds.
In very simple terms, I believe that when you change your thoughts, you can change your life. Our thoughts are based on our perception of our situation. These thoughts affect our energy which affects our behavior which leads us to what we have – a situation. This cycle of ‘thoughts leading to things’ can be either an upward cycle or a downward cycle. As a life coach, I get to see the transformation that occurs in my clients when they take control of their minds. They learn how to get past the limiting beliefs holding them back from the life of their dreams.
So, while telling somebody to not think about it (in other words, to ‘stop it’) is not necessarily the answer, helping people think about what they're thinking about can bring about big transformation. What would you like to stop thinking about? Life coaching can help put a stop to overwhelm, worry, and fear, to help you live your best life.
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