Renewing Your Mind in 2009
Written By: Darren Bocksnick ©2009

Whew! The year of 2008 was quite a ride! There’s an old saying that states in essence, “sometimes we have to emphasize the negative to accentuate the positive”. So, back to 2008- many experts, much of the media and overwhelming public opinion all seem to agree that it was one of the most trying, troublesome and turbulent years we have faced in decades. With bailouts, foreclosures, bankruptcies and looming gas prices all on the rise; it’s hard to look “up” when so much appears to have taken a downturn.

Yet, successful people and entrepreneurial minded individuals alike have learned not only how to survive in such conditions; they learn how to thrive! For them, there is an age-old proven principle that is powerful enough to see beyond the present situation to envision future expectations. So, even when things appear to be their bleakest, these forward thinking individuals appear to be un-phased insomuch that outwardly, they even exhibit an impenetrable shell of positivity.

Some may ask how this is possible. Scientists have discovered the brain actually rewires itself in response to patterns of thought. If a person is prone to negative thinking or a pessimistic outlook on life, the brain rewires itself accordingly and not surprising, these individuals always seem to have no shortage of trouble occurring in their lives.

However, those same studies revealed the opposite holds equally true! If an individual decides to have a positive outlook, the brain rewires itself again to accommodate this new pattern of thought and in turn, forms that individual's "world" according to their new way of thinking! As a result, the grateful individual's life seems to be replete with good things; health, family, prosperity, abundance, goals, etc. This is not to say they don't encounter the occasional hardship but the positive things in their lives far outweigh the negative! The intended lesson here is: we are what we think and our thoughts can in fact, determine our reality!

Though this is simple in principle it may appear difficult in practice. Yet in all actuality, a little goes a long way in changing the way we think. It starts by simply planting seeds of positive thought. It may be refusing to be upset when troubling circumstances occur and instead, remaining positive through the storm. Or it may be expressing gratitude over those things one does have even when faced with loss and despair. These are simple ways of planting positive seed that one day will bloom and have fruition.

Still another form of “seed-planting” may be more difficult to master but it yields a plentiful harvest of powerful “fruit” once it is put into practice. This method of seed planting is the art of speaking positive “seeds” into your situation, regardless of how dark and dismal things may appear to be.

This can be as unnatural as seeing yourself in the mirror and saying: “I’m a winner” or “I’m special” or “I can be anything I want to be”. Since these small, incremental seeds eventually yield a positive mental harvest that affects your attitude, outlook and whole worldview, planting them often is paramount to progress.

The act of seed planting can also be as powerful as speaking out loud to your circumstances or making a bold exchange of positive “faith” words to a crowd, whether in a small group or large gathering. In doing so, your words become a powerful, creative force that will eventually form the world and circumstances you hope to see. While also, your words become a destructive force that begins to destroy and dismantle the negative environment that you are currently in.
Planting seeds always produces fruit of some kind or another.

When we plant positive seeds, the harvest that eventually comes will not only benefit us but others as well. This is wherein the true beauty lies. By a few simple changes in the way we think, we can not only create the world we want for ourselves but we can also “speak” better things into existence for the benefit of all!

Studies reveal that the brain’s neural network is “firing” off countless electrical charges in a given moment. As the body responds to different stimuli affecting the senses or the emotions, these electrical charges react accordingly. As behavioral patterns set in, the brain’s neural network becomes wired to cater to those patterns of thought and in so doing, builds that individual’s world or reality around their way of thinking.

So, if it is a negative, pessimistic set of emotions for example that lead to depression, anger and the like, then the brain’s neural network solidifies this pattern of thought and literally, forms that individual’s reality in the process. They in turn become depressed, bitter individuals prone to outbursts of anger.

Interestingly, the brain’s neural network has been shown to re-wire itself when a conscientious decision is made to think differently. Let’s say that same individual susceptible to anger makes a pointed decision to react differently to the outward stimulus and inner emotions triggering the anger. He or she decides to exercise gratitude instead of resigning to thoughts of bitterness or depression.

It is at this juncture that the brain’s neural network literally rewires itself and certain neurons that had been dormant began to fire up and establish new patterns of thought. The grateful individual then begins to experience blessing and abundance in his/her life since those things are natural outflows of a grateful attitude. In one simple of act of changing the way one thinks, new behavioral patterns set in, new experiences and opportunities present themselves and thus, a new world is formed. The individual has in fact, created a new reality for his or her self just by thinking differently.

In other words, how a person reacts, responds and thinks really does create their reality! It’s amazing to consider that we can begin to change our circumstances simply by reshaping our thought patterns.