Think Well, Be Well

“Thinking makes it so.” ~ Hamlet via Shakespeare

Thinking makes it so. I can’t agree more. Whether it be positive or negative in its impact, what you think about, and how you think about it will have an effect on you and those around you. It will either help you, and more often it will hurt you. It will help, or it will hurt, others around you.

What types of thinking do you do?

Questions

What questions do you think about? Can I make that work? Is that possible? Why do I always do that? Why can’t I do that? Why does that make me so upset? 

Problem Solving

How can I do that? How can I make it work? Who can I ask to help me?

Relationships

I wonder how they are doing? I wonder what she likes to do? I love the sound of her voice. I hope my friend finds that new job. Why do they always do that? Are they trying to annoy me? I wonder what I can do for them today? What can I do to make them smile?

Food

Okay, I have a lot to say about this one. I think about food a lot. Usually my thought is, “I’m hungry, I should eat something.” That often leads to, “what should I eat?” and “wow, that’s probably not good for me!”  But if I think about eating, I usually end up eating. And if I think about chocolate ice cream, I usually eat chocolate ice cream.

Thinking about food has taught me a lot about myself. I’ve learned that thinking helps me control my bad eating habits. I have been using this to lose weight, I look at the desserts and say, “I know what you taste like.” And then I really think about what it tastes like. I then ask myself if it’s worth eating it now, or can I wait and do it some other time. Often, I don’t need it right then. I can do without and feel better long term. Especially if it’s something that I know is going to not help me hit my goals. 

Thinking is almost like eating. To live, you have to do it. If you think healthy, you’ll be healthy, if you think unhealthy, that’s what you will be. And you can’t stop thinking. It’s impossible to really think about nothing.

Thinking Without Action  

Translating this thinking thing into other areas of my life, I’ve discovered that when I think about something and I don’t take action on it, it weighs on me. It’s super heavy. The lack of action has a cost. I also have realized that if I keep thinking about it, pressure builds up and I have to make it happen. I eventually take action. Or I have to have a conversation with myself about why I don’t want to do it. That helps me let go of the idea if it’s not a good one. 

Think Well, Be Well

Think about what you can do, and do it? Don’t think about what others should do, or what they should have done. That’s counter productive.

Thinking with Myself 

It’s hard not to give myself advice. It’s hard not to judge myself and what I do and don’t do. What I should do or shouldn’t. But I know one thing is certain, I can’t stop thinking.

Sometimes I wonder how something works. Sometimes I wonder if I could make something. Music? What would that sound like? What are those notes I hear? What are those chords? I do know that I can direct my thoughts. I can choose to thinking about things I want to do, things I want to accomplish. I can think about strategies to accomplish them. I can think about people I care about, which usually leads to me wanting to talk to them, or spend time with them.

So Think Well and Be Well 

Think well about others, and do what is well, for others. Think about yourself as you would others you care about. Give yourself the time to think, and the space to think. Think healthy, think nice, think good things.

What are you thinking about right now?