Shift your thoughts - maybe your life...

“Fear not to die, but rather not to live

Fear ‘not to do’…’not to be’”

- Anonymous

“Would you be willing to be a mentor for ‘M’?” 

Scott and Gen are a most interesting couple.  They make thoughtful, and deliberately strategic decisions about the way they raise their children, and then go about the business of executing the plan.

“Hmmm…” I thought, “I might need a little more.”  

With perfect timing he continued, “We would like you take ‘M’ out to lunch or find a little time with her and share a principle you think is important to know in life.” 

“What we are looking for is an adult to give her one concept they have found helpful.  If you accept, you will be part of a small group of people we trust to share with her.”

“At the end of the year,” he continued, “All of the mentors will get together as a group and she will relate the ideas and what she learned.”

One idea – a challenge…

They say the mark of a good speaker is what he/she can say in five minutes, rather than an hour.  While I have worked with young people and mentored a few in my life, the proposition of providing ‘one’ idea was a bit intimidating.

As I sat in my office mulling this over, I glanced at the wall just to the left of the computer.  EUREKA!  There it was!!  Of course, ‘Thought Shifters.”

Thought shifters you say??  Yes indeed.

I am not sure where this idea came from…BUT as ideas slip by the small ‘consciousness spyglass’ of my mind, I occasionally reach out and grab one like a multicolored leaf one preserves between the pages of a book.

Life, now there’s a topic…

Most writers suggest life can be, and in fact is, a struggle.  It doesn’t take writers to tell us that!  Religions and philosophers of the world promise escape from the mundane, and the often-routine lives we find ourselves living. 

In fact, a lot of our time is spent looking forward and creating ways to “…fill the void…” What to do and with whom to do it?  Where to go?  What to see?  New things…something different…much like the Tim Rice lyric from Jesus Christ Superstar. 

The Apostles:

“What’s the buzz, tell me what’s a happening,

what’s the buzz tell me what’s a happening

Christ’s response:

“Why should you want to know?
Don't you mind about the future?
Don't you try to think ahead?
Save tomorrow for tomorrow;
think about today instead.”

The truth, of course, is that no matter what the season or where we go or what we do, we cannot escape ourselves.  Marcus Aurelius says, so often we feel the need to go somewhere or do something in order to find fulfillment, when the most exotic and amazing place we can travel is to the ‘continent of contentment’ within our own minds.

Easy to say…

This brings me to the ‘Thought Shifters’ and my one idea for ‘M.’

You see, it is within our minds we live…where EVERYTHING happens.  In fact, we have control over nothing else…not our health…home…families…work…possessions – NOTHING! 

All of these things…all of these things can be taken in a split second in an unanticipated moment of tragedy.  We need not look far to know this is absolutely true.  We can control, however, two things: The thoughts we let into our minds, AND the opinions we form as a result of those thoughts.

So ‘M’ and I had lunch.  It was a long and slow lunch.  We have been friends for many years, so there was a lot to talk about.  But when she said, “Okay, what do you have for me?”  I was prepared!!  I said, “Tell me about the things, or people, or places, or music, or whatever, that bring you pleasure.  Let me know what makes you feel safe, or secure, or loved, or cared for.”

She listed a number of items and we spent a little time reducing each to a single word or short phrase.  After the list was compiled, we reviewed.  I said, “When you find yourself struggling with your place in life, think of one of the items in this group.”  I continued, “When you are able to shift your thoughts to those ideas, you will find your ‘world’ will brighten.”

I took that list and made a small plastic card, about the size of a driver’s license, for ‘M’ to put in her purse, so she could pull it out as a ready resource…a sort of ‘emergency injection’ of confidence and assurance.

Later that year at the ‘mentor event’ in the living room of her home, she pulled the card out, passed it around and said it had been helpful…I was pleased!

What’s good for the goose…

And so, as I write, I am glancing at the list of ‘Thought Shifters’ that have come to the rescue many times in my life.  It contains the names of a few people I deeply love, and who, more importantly love me.  There are a couple of musicals…a place or two I have seen and some helpful phrases…all in all, about 16 items – in a way, a mental and spiritual menu for thought and meditation.

To be frank, the list had not always succeeded in elevating my spirits and attitude, but it has, by a vast degree, been more successful than not.  I absolutely do know this…with a little work – not much more than the effort it took to learn the alphabet or any other unknown subject – this little list on the wall of my office has kept me – on many, many occasions – in a brighter frame of mind.

As the Apostle Paul wrote and I firmly believe:

Finally, brethren,

whatsoever things are true,

whatsoever things are honest,

whatsoever things are just,

whatsoever things are pure,

whatsoever things are lovely,

whatsoever things are of good report;

if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,

think on these things.

- Philppians 4:8 – Bible

From my mind to yours…blessings…

- ted