Last night, I had all but put the finishing touches on Day 9's post when my laptop decided to freeze up. Once I got everything back up, I discovered that I had lost everything I had just written ... ALL . OF . IT. Ugh!
As frustrating as that is, the thoughts are still there, so maybe those will be saved to share on another day. For now, I'll keep hitting "save" with each sentence, and I'll share some new thoughts because today has left me full of them. :-D
I've recently been listening to the audio book "Quantum Christianity: Believe Again" on Audible. It's a book I started back toward the end of last year, then, set aside during the holidays, and have now picked back up to listen again. It's actually been perfect timing considering what's happening right now in life and where I left off in the book. Funny how that sometimes happens, huh?
Anyway, there are 2 things that really grabbed my attention there and I wanted to share them here and maybe discuss how these processes have an effect on our thinking and belief systems.
The 1st being a quote the author shared by Albert Einstein that states, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." I might also add (or when those problems presented themselves).
I was wowed by this statement, so much so that I had to back it up and listen again ... twice ... and then pause it to let it really sink in.
Take a minute and re-read it yourself if you'd like. It's powerful.
It got me thinking ... How many times do we stay stuck because we can't get ourselves out of a certain thought pattern? We make a mistake or experience pain from an outside source. Then, we ruminate and try to process it from the same emotional state that got us there to begin with or that we arrived at when the experience first happened.
Emotions are good indicators but they are horrible guides. In other words, they are great at helping us see that something IS wrong and possibly WHAT that is exactly. However, they cannot lead us where we need to go. WE must choose to intentionally work through the situation (find solutions).
So going back to Albert Einstein's quote ... If we were to remain in a state of anger or frustration about a situation, we would most likely not be able to think clearly about any possible details that could lead to a solution unless we are willing to release the anger and frustration and choose a better outlook (hope, faith, optimism, gratitude, compassion, determination, flexibility, courage, restoration, etc.). Mindset really does matter, and the better we get at programming our mindset, the better prepared we can be when these situations arise.
For years, I remained stuck in so much mental anguish (to the point of wanting to leave this world) because I continued to sit in the pain and frustration and anger of all I had experienced. At that time, I would have told you that it was because I didn't know how to help myself or where to find help. While that is partially true, the overarching truth is that I simply did not understand the gravity of this truth that Mr. Einstein shared. I continued to look at my situation through the same lens over and over and over again, which kept me stuck and blind to any real solutions. It wasn't until I was able to finally realize that I had to take on a different viewpoint, even if it was difficult, that I could start heading in the direction of finding solutions.
This brings me to the other thing I wanted to share ... The idea that our beliefs and actions often stem from what we've been taught mixed with a little bit of our own experiences (or lack of them) vs real truth or even concrete evidence. For instance, if a parent or teacher who we love and trust instills a principle into our brains and we have no personal experience in that area, we will simply believe what they say and adopt that belief as our own simply because we love and trust them. THIS is exactly how manipulative leaders gain control over unsuspecting people under their care. This is also how well-meaning leaders can perpetuate unhealthy or false teachings (often unintentionally), simply because they are furthering a belief system that they were taught.
I could go down a giant rabbit hole here, but that's not the point of this.
What I want to ask is ... How many times have we developed beliefs simply because someone told us that's what we should believe without any real evidence or personal experience to back it up?
From there, these beliefs quickly cause us to create stories in our minds around our situations that cause us to develop new beliefs about ourselves - who we are, what our worth is, etc. Then, when we filter our experiences through these beliefs, we are left feeling pretty awful about ourselves and questioning everything. When we're in that state of mind, we're far from seeking solutions. Instead, we're trapped in the cycle of (like Albert Einstein stated) trying to solve problems at the same level of thinking as when the problem was created.
It's ok to ask questions, but I encourage you to do so from a positive state of mind that is looking for solutions, not stuck in an unhealthy emotional state. As someone who has experienced hundreds of questions flying through her brain, I can tell you this ... I've found more answers to those questions when I'm open and optimistic than when I'm stuck in an emotionally negative headspace.
Personally, I believe God welcomes our questions and WANTS to answer them - maybe not all at once, but I believe He will as we are ready for them. If He didn't, then I don't believe He would have said this ...
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." - Matthew 7:7 (NKJV)
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