Holding on to, and repeating a conversation in one’s head over and over again creates patterns of thought. This is over-thinking. Some of us keep running a conversation inside their head without even realising it.
Over-thinking creates ‘pathways’ of worry, panic and anxiety. This leads to stress and the body reacts. You begin to fall sick when you over think. Your immunity goes down.
A lot of energy is needed for us to think our thoughts. It is believed that an average person thinks about 60,000 thoughts everyday. Out of these, only a couple would be new thoughts. So all day long, we are thinking the same thoughts without even realising it. The vibrations we give out when we are repeating negative thoughts are associated with depression and fear. This can lead to much unhappiness for us and everyone around. Let me share a story.
After the harvest season was over, farmer Ghasiram needed to plough his field but his plough was broken. “I’ll ask Sukhram. He’s a good man. He’ll lend me his plough.” So Ghasi began walking to Sukhram’s farm.
After crossing one field, Ghasi said to himself, “I hope Sukhram has finished his own ploughing or he’ll not be able to lend me his plough.” After a few minutes of worrying and walking, Ghasi thought, “And what if Sukhram’s plough is old? He won’t lend it to me, will he?” After another field, Ghasi scowled, “Sukhram was never a helpful fellow. He won’t be keen to lend me his plough even if it’s in good condition!”
Finally, when Ghasi arrived at Sukhram’s farm, he was fuming, “That wily old Sukhram can be very rude. I am sure he’s got all his ploughing done, but he’ll not lend his plough to me just to watch me go to ruin!” He knocked on the door impatiently. Sukhram came out and said, “Namaste Ghasi bhai, what can I do for you?”
And Ghasi, with eyes bulging, shouted, “I don’t want your bloody plough! You can go and throw it into the well!”
It is possible to change the pattern of your thoughts so that you have positive conversations with yourself constantly. But, it can occur only if you consciously begin to have ‘original’ positive thoughts, and you repeat such thoughts all day long. It needs a lot of willpower to do this. You have to force yourself to make this change repeatedly. It is difficult, but it is possible. Often, you need someone who can hold your hand to keep you on track.
Such conversations with ourselves are called affirmations. One of the most popular affirmations is French psychologist Émile Coué’s, “Everyday in every way I am getting better and better.” It is always good to create your own personal affirmations. For example, ‘I am powerful’, ‘I am healthy’ and, ‘I am healing myself’.
Affirmations are like mantras. Ancient mantras were sources of great power. If we chant a mantra even without knowing what it means, the mantra can transform our energy.
Through constant repeating of affirmations you stop giving space for negative thoughts to emerge spontaneously in your head. If you keep doing this over time, the patterns of negative thoughts like worry, panic, fear and anxiety start breaking up; and in their place, you have positive affirmations appearing unbidden.
When you ‘overthink’ such positive thoughts, there is a radical shift in your being. Not only will you heal yourself, but things around you will imbibe the positive energies you emanate.
When thoughts like, ‘I am good’, ‘I am worthy’, ‘I am loved’, ‘I am healing myself’, ‘I am powerful’, ‘I am joyful’, ‘I am at peace’ start appearing spontaneously, they are going to transform your conversations, your actions, your body and the environment all around you.
Deepam Chatterjee, the author of The Millennial Yogi, can be reached at deepamchatterjee@yahoo.co.in