In Part 1 of this series, I wrote about how the mind and body balance one another to form a spirit. Part 2 took a deeper look into how the spirit works.  We looked at how your mind & body interact together, and how that affects your ability to achieve your goals.  In the final part, I am going to talk about the power of thoughts.

Thoughts are the fuel for the brain.

The brain controls the body.  Therefore that means your thoughts indirectly affect your body, which affects your actions, and then obviously, your life. This power of perception is severely underrated in my humble opinion.  People just don’t realize that their perception plays a MAJOR part in the outcome of their life.  That’s why it is so important to be aware of exactly how it affects you.

For example, a person may own an old junky car his Dad gave him when he was much younger.  The car is almost 50 years old, needs a paint job, has no AC, and eats gas like you can’t believe.  To this person, he would take anything to get rid of this piece of junk ruining the beauty of his rural property.  In fact, he is hesitant to put it up for sale because he wonders why on Earth anyone would give anything for this car.

Then, along comes Joe.

Joe loves old cars.  He collects classic automobiles.  He almost loses his mind when he sees the ad for the car in the paper.  ‘$500 is all he wants?’.  He can’t believe it.  He thinks there must be a mistake.  He immediately rushes over to see the car.  He acts cool, checks it over, and is dumbfounded by his luck.  He has just found a 1959 Chevrolet Impala for only $500!  After cleaning up his new toy, he happily drives it to the next classic car show in tip top shape.

Now, this is the same car. Nothing has changed.  Yet one person is enamored with it, and thinks it the luckiest day of his life to find it, and the other is practically giving it away.  What is the difference you ask?

Perception.

Joe perceives an amazing value whereas the original owner only sees a pile of junk. This may sound a bit silly, as obviously one man’s trash is another’s man gold.  We have all probably heard that before.  However, this lesson on perception can actually help you achieve your goals as well.

When you are heading down the path to your goal, you will face many obstacles, challenges, slip ups, and circumstances that are completely out of your control.  For instance, when I opened the mortgage company, I had no idea what was going to happen to the market.  I knew it could slow down, but I had no idea it would get as bad as it did.  I was not enjoying what I was doing to begin with, so when it got even tougher, I perceived everyday of work as a struggle.  To me, there was no possible way to survive in the industry.

Now, while many others felt just as I did, there were countless others who held strong.  These were the people who lived and breathe mortgages.  To them, and their perception, there was no alternative.  They only knew mortgages, and quitting was not an option.  These people did not perceive the dread that I did.  Instead, they looked at it like another challenge.  Some went into doing Reverse Mortgages. Many came up with very creative ways to get people into new houses, such as a ‘house swap’.    That is where two people who own homes with similar values and leans switch houses, instead of having to go through the mortgage process.

My point is, everything depends on your perception.  That is the power of thoughts.  Your mind is a powerful entity.  It controls your body and controls your energy.  When I am training Jiu-Jitsu, and reach a point where my body questions whether it can go anymore, it becomes a battle of the mind.  What I have learned is that you can always keep going somehow.  It’s just a test of your will.  Being tired, sore, or out of breath is just the warning signals.  However, the human body is extremely resilient.

Think of it like running.

When you run, it is not a test of your body.  Rather it is a test of your mind.  It is how long you can go without your mind & body agreeing to stop.  Your body is going to send signals to your mind every step of the way about how tired you are.  It is up to your mind to tell your body to relax and keep going.  And it all starts with a simple thought. “Yes I can!”

However, many times people will focus on different thoughts. How many times do your hear these words, or a variation, come out of your mouth, or pop into your head?

• I can’t.
• I won’t.
• It’s not for me.
• I’m unable to do that.
• It’s too hard.
• Are you crazy?  I can’t do that!
• I can’t go anymore. I have to stop.
• I’m too tired, or heavy, or skinny, or young, or old, or whatever!

Simply put, these are all excuses, no matter how true you may think they are at the time.  If you find yourself saying or thinking any of these statements, I have only one thing to tell you:

You are 100% right.

With that mindset, you will make those statements completely true.  Those thoughts right there are the beginning of your failure.  What you are really saying is that you need an excuse because you have no more willpower.  Your body has taken over your mind and is controlling its thoughts.

However, what you need to understand, is that the same is true for the opposite thoughts.  What these thoughts should sound more like is…

• I can’t yet, but I will.
• I won’t want to, but I will anyway.
• It’s not for me, but I’ll give it a shot.
• I’m unable to do that yet.  Give me some time, and I can accomplish anything.
• It’s too hard because I have not tried it yet.
• Are you crazy?  Of course I can do that if I give it some effort.
• I can go some more even though it feels like I have to stop.
• I’m NOT too tired, or heavy, or skinny, or young, or old, or whatever!

It all depends on your perception. Nothing else matters. Not anyone else’s perception or anything else. Try it out for yourself.  The next time your mind starts to think these negative thoughts, turn the negative thought into a positive one.  That is the first step. That provides your body with the right FUEL.

Your brain will focus on your thought, and your body will naturally follow.

I teach Boxing, Kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu classes.  The boxing and Muay Thai Kickboxing classes are more Cardio based.  It amazes me each time the power of motivation I can give to someone when they are ready to give up.  Like at the end of a 3 minute boxing round in the hardest part of class, when their arms are just sooooo tired that they seem to be moving in slow motion.  This is when I will yell things like…

‘You are almost there.’
’30 more seconds, give it all you got.’
‘This is the tough part. You have to push yourself to make it through.’

What this does is replace their negative thoughts with positive ones.  As the end is nearing, they start to give up.  They slow down because their body is telling them to.  Their willpower is fading.  The thought of ‘I can’t go anymore’ is creeping into their mind.  When they hear my voice however, a new thought enters their head.  They say, I can do it. I made it this far.  I’m not giving up.

That is because they perceive it now as a challenge.  They have found their motivation.  Instead of focusing on failure, they are re-focused on success.  This is the key in life as well.  When our mind and body are battling, it is up to us to pick our perception.  Find the positive in everything. Learn that your entire day, as well as everyone around you, is affected by your thoughts whether you reveal them or not.

They are that powerful.

However, with every power, comes responsibility.  Use your thoughts wisely.  Don’t let doubt creep into your mind.  Instead of looking at everything as either good or bad, look at it all as experience.  That’s what it is.  You are gaining experience.  The mind, body, and spirit are all constantly gaining experience.  Your thoughts are the key to getting the most out of every experience.  Here is some neat things to try just to see the power of perception.

• If you don’t want to do something, try instead to look forward to it.  Try to make it fun, or a challenge, or a learning experience.  Flip the switch!
• If you think something is impossible to achieve, try pretending that it is possible.  Pretend that the way it is possible is a hidden secret.  No one has been able to find it as of yet. It is solely up to you. Take your time and consistently work towards finding that secret.
• If you are afraid of something, try to focus on the opposite. So if you are afraid of a being hit by a baseball in the batter’s box, try to focus on hitting a home run. By focusing on the possibility of getting hit, you are actually attracting it. The pitcher may even notice this and start to throw inside just to scare you.  Instead of focusing on the fear, focus on the glory. Think of it like whatever you focus on, is exactly what will happen.

This process of becoming aware of your perception is a lifelong journey.

Everyday I learn more about the power of thoughts. I think back to when I was younger and I can see the way my perception affected my life.  I used to think one way, and therefore I used to act one way. As I matured, my thinking changed, and therefore so did my actions.

Just think of the Guy that gets all the girls. They get most of the girls because they PERCEIVE that they will.  Their actions exude confidence because they believe they will attract any girl they wish.  They don’t hope, they know.  Whereas, someone like the younger me would hope that the girl liked him, and wind up watching her hang with someone with a more positive perception.

Take a couple of minutes and think back on your own life.

Think long & hard of all the things you might have been able to do if you just believed in yourself and went for it. Think of how much better you could take on high school, grade school, college, or any sport at all.  What has changed?  Your age?  Yes. Your experience?  Yes again.  However, it can all be summed up by what really changed: your perception.

Instead of waiting for the future to think back of what you could of accomplished in the past, start today to change your thinking. Open your mind to other possible perceptions and use them as motivation.

• Why not make today the day you use your new power of perception to accomplish your goals?
• Why not make today the day your perception takes you toward where ever it is you dream of going?
• Why not?

‘There is no day is better than today.’