Transform Your Mind by Overcoming These Toxic Mindsets
There are monarchs on the milkweed, and the sun sinks fiery white above the overgrown weed fields behind the house. “They’re not weeds,” five-year-old Caleb contends, “They’re flowers.” I smile at his words. Maybe he knows the hidden secret about how to really transform your mind when the weeds creep in.
“I guess it depends on what you want to call them,” I tell the little guy. “One person’s weeds are another person’s flowers.”
We walk to the spot where the fields border the yard – where the monarchs stretch their marmalade wings on the sticky milkweed leaves – and I clip a bouquet for the dining room table.
A Simple Shift to Transform Your Mind
It’s later in the evening as we practice reciting the alphabet by the wildflower bouquet when Caleb declares, “I think I want some flowers in my room too,” he says, “they’re very pretty.”
Later that night, I read Sarah Geringer’s words: “You have an average of 60,000 thoughts every day, and up to 80 percent of those thoughts are negative.”
Sarah’s book is called Transforming Your Thought Life, and I am a woman who could use more than just a few transformed thoughts. I might be able to see a field of weeds and call them wildflowers, but there are places in my life where peace and joy are lacking because I’ve lost the battle in my thought-life.
I imagine there are some places in your life where you could use an overhaul in your thought-life as well.
Do you ever feel frustrated when . . .
No one thanks you for your hard work
Your kids complain about dinner again
The boss overlooks your effort and gives a promotion to a coworker
You feel like all you do is pour out in a certain friendship, and there is no reciprocation
Your husband gets to spend hours – or even days – pursuing his hobbies, and you haven’t had ten minutes to yourself for approximately twelve years (or something like that)
You can’t seem to stop the pattern of eating your feelings – all of them: good, bad, and everything in between
Everyone expects you to organize the night out, the vacation, or the event . . . every time
You can’t seem to shake the lingering cloud of worry, anxiety, hurry, or a need to be in control
As the days wear on, I keep coming back to Sarah’s words every evening, and her words begin shaping me – from the inside out.
To Transform Your Life, Transform Your Mind First
If we want transformed lives – the abundant kind of lives that overflow with #joy and #peace – the #transformation needs to begin in our minds. Click To TweetSarah’s book unpacks 17 specific thought patterns that can be transformed through the power of meditating on Scripture. Here are three areas that are shaping and challenging me:
1. Transform your mind by refusing to ruminate on your problems.
Where does your mind go when you have a few quiet minutes? It has been said that we are prone to focus on our greatest problem at the time – this is where the mind naturally wanders.
Sarah notes: “Our focus turns to problems without realizing the roots of those problems exists in our way of thinking. Our thoughts turn into actions, whether good or bad. When the majority of our thoughts are negative, our quality of life suffers.”
My mind easily wanders to contemplating everything from what I’m going to cook for dinner to what will happen if some worst-case-scenario plays out in the life of one of my children.
When our minds begin to wander aimlessly, we need to take those thoughts captive and examine whether they honor God, or whether they are leading us down rabbit trails that will ultimately derail some area of our lives.
2. Recognize anxious thought patterns.
Sarah points out that the original meaning of the word worry means “to strangle or choke.” And sometimes this is exactly how it feels when anxiety attacks. It can be difficult to breathe, and we might very well feel like we’re caught in a stranglehold.
Meditating on God’s Word is a powerful way to push out our anxious thoughts. Here are a few suggestions:
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way (2 Thess. 3:16 ESV).
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts (Col. 3:15 NIV).
May they have peace, both near and far, for I will heal them all (Isaiah 57:19 NLT).
3. Transform your mind by turning away from self-critical thoughts.
I have met very few women who have not struggled with issues related to body image. We speak words to ourselves that we would never speak to someone else.
Sarah makes a powerful point about this kind of self-criticism: “The accuser engages us in a fight against ourselves to destroy our effectiveness for God’s purposes.”
If we can’t love ourselves, we will never be free to fully love others the way God wants us to love them.
Pause to consider whether there is a certain part of your body you don’t like. What do you say to yourself about this part of you?
Our minds – and our lives – are transformed when we learn to see ourselves the way God sees us. The Bible tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are beloved, chosen, and cherished. We are his spotless bride.
It’s time to step back and offer ourselves the same grace we offer others, especially when it comes to the ways God designed us.
A Free Devotional to Help You Transform Your Mind:
Would you like less stress and deeper peace in life? My gift to you today is my free 21-day devotional Unrushed: Slow Your Pace and Embrace the Fully-present Life. This is a powerful journey into a life that is more present – more fully lived. Click here, and I’ll send this free online devotional to your email inbox!
A Book to Help You Transform Your Mind:
Transforming Your Thought Life is a book that will meet you wherever you are and invite you to a transformed life. This is a fantastic book for group study or your own journey of personal reflection. Get your own copy here, and be blessed!
