Parker - Master Your Thinking

MASTER YOUR THINKING

Turn On Healthy Thoughts

CHANGE YOUR NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

& BECOME A BETTER YOU.

SIMPLE GUIDE HOW TO OVERCOME THINKING TRAPS

& DISCIPLINE YOUR THOUGHTS

BY ALEXANDER PARKER

Table of Contents

CHAPTER

WHATS HEALTHY THINKING, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Its likely that at many points in your life, youve wished that maybe you had a better, more positive outlook on things. This is a great example of wishful thinking, mentally scolding yourself but not doing anything to actively change or negate those habits you so detestthats a thinking trap, a classic one which well discuss later on. At any rate, before we get into the concepts of thinking traps and how healthy thinking affects different kinds of people, we have to first ask the question: What even is healthy thinking?

Sure, we can piece together what it means in the literal sensehealthy thinking is to think in a way thats healthy. But what does that mean in the context of our self-doubt, our pessimism which, for some, is like a parasite they cant quite seem to get rid of. Leeching off their energy and what would be their enthusiasm, pessimistic thinking is the leading cause of unhealthy thinking, whether that pessimism is unintentional or purposeful. Pessimism, in and of itself, can be a tricky and complex topic to cover, one which well tackle later with thinking traps and where they come from.

What healthy thinking is, to be more specific, is the process of clearing your thoughts of reasoning that is bolstered by emotion, thinking that is only emotional and not at all rational, and focusing on the reality of a situation at hand. If that reality means that you have to look at something in a negative light, then so be it, as long as that perspective is as objectively accurate as possible.

As humans, we have this kind of compulsion for the objective, to be as honest and as correct as possible whenever we can be. That being said, you have to understand while undertaking the mission of becoming a healthier thinker, is that you can never be truly objective. Although we would all love to think that we can become the ultimate objective authority, our experiences are shaped by our past and our memories, as well as our geneticsto an extentas so, therefore, no matter how objective and realistic we attempt to be, there will always be a bit of our outlook that will lean in favor of one thing or another because of our individual tastes and past experiences.

That isnt to say that the venture to be more objective and realistic is fruitless, of course. If you were to live your life clouded by your emotions only, just moving through life in spur after a spur of the moment, simply acting on the whim of your feelings, you would likely live an unfulfilling life. Living your life lead only by rationale will also likely lead to a similar ending, so the best course is, like many things, the middle road between those two extremes. Its difficult not to be pulled slightly in one way or another, and to ere on the side of emotion or rationale is inevitable, but what matters is the attempt to be as neutral as possible given your situation. However, also remember that the purpose of trying to remain neutral isnt that so you can be neutral and apathetic toward thingsthe point of trying not to be swayed by intense emotion or rationale is making you happier, and more fulfilled, as a person.

What healthy thinking also means is recognizing the flaws in your way of thinking, and correcting those faults while balancing humility and confidence. Having flaws in your thinking pointed out to you enthusiastically can be disheartening at times, but its the growth that comes after that criticism that matters more than the criticism itself. Its the commitment to evolving and becoming a better person that far exceeds whatever shame you might feel when youre critiqued. Its difficult, yes, but it helps much more than it hurts.

Now, another question arises from the firstsure, healthy thinking is trying to become a more neutral person for the sake of inner peace, but why does that matter to any individual? If I feel that Im positive enough as it is, why should I care about healthy thinking?

For one thing, if you believe your way of thinking is perfectly healthy and neutral as is, you probably wouldnt be reading this book at all. However, there is also an issue that comes with positivity. As I said, with many things the best road is the one placed in the middle of two extremes. On one hand, we often discuss how damaging pessimism can be to the ego and to the self as a whole, but a subject not nearly as discussed is the dangers of being too optimistic. This is also a subject well touch on in later chapters, but for now, keep in mind that any extreme in this context is likely one that will damage you emotionally in the long run.

At any ratewhy does healthy thinking matter? This is a question raised by those who are either content with themselves, or by those who know that their way of thinking is deeply flawed but are either too prideful or too apathetic to take that first step forward and actually be active in your own change.

The truth is, healthy thinking isnt something thats only meant for those who feel that their thinking is overly unhealthy, or whose thinking has the potential to ruin them from the inside out. No, healthy thinking is something that can benefit absolutely everyone and anyone, no matter how much you may think your thinking is already in perfect shape, or at least not so unhealthy that you would need to read a book on how to better it.

The brain is the most hard-working organ in your body, easily. Not only does it manage to make us into sentient, strange beings that can talk and breathe and eat and build cultures, but it also allows us to think. Not only that, our brains allows us to be aware of our own thought processes. We understand our own thought processes to some extent, anywayand are able to analyze them, break them down and make them better. Our brains allow us to be creatures so complex that we arent at the mercy of Mother Nature or fate to make us better or teach us lessons about life. We have our own power to teach ourselves things, to learn and apply that information to every aspect of our lives. This is an insane thing to think about; the power of our brain, but its that very power that allows us to think about it in the first place.

So, really, the power of healthy thinking is the same power our brain gives to usthe power to be aware and to edit ourselves whenever you really want to. That power is something we always take for granted, assuring ourselves that our faith, or fate, will carry us along in life and that we dont really have to rely on our own thoughts to do much. We thinking we rely on our thoughts much, much less than we truly do. Not only are our thoughts an integral part of us as beings, but that is what makes up our sentience, our constant stream of information. The only time we experience silence in our brain is when were so focused on something that all of our thoughts go on the backburner for a little while. For the rest of our human experience, we have a nearly constant stream of internal speech going through our heads, feeding us information that maybe we didnt even know we had access to in the first place. Some of the thoughts we experience, we feel, arent even ours. Whether those be meddlesome intrusive thoughts, or simply thoughts that we dont really identify with, random strings of information that were more impulsive and deliberate, those thoughts can sometimes cause doubt in ourselves and in our thoughts themselves. This discord between us and our thoughts which creates a rift between our physical selves and our mental selves can be incredibly problematic when it comes to connecting deeper with ourselves, our spirituality, or even experiencing heart-to-heart-connections with other people. Those connections can be damaged or strained when we have a poor connection with ourselves. Healthy thinking can help both make a connection stronger and prevent those things that can cause that damaging rift in the first place.