Each and every one of us at one time in our lives have been accused by someone or the other of this fatal flaw- thinking too much. Whenever we have issues in life, whenever we find something is not right, we spend time thinking a myriad of thoughts. Every new thing or event in our life we try to understand and reason, sometimes with deep and profound thought. If you google “thought quotes” you are presented with an array of quotes by famous people about this aspect of the human condition- i.e., thoughts. Have you ever felt crippled by thoughts or have you ever been unable to come into terms on how to control your thinking? As always some pointers for help and discussion.
- Thinking is an excellent idea: Our small thoughts are like water bodies. Most of the time water bodies are connected or eventually flow into a bigger water source such as an ocean. Our small thoughts should be allowed to flow into such bigger thoughts because if you search within an ocean, you may find some deep treasures. Our small thoughts should be allowed to grow bigger and join with its source for us to unlock its true potential- the message. Most of the time, unfortunately, we don’t think too much because we have been told from childhood to get stuff done, no matter what. In doing so, we drown our ability to think and rationalize. Remember just as we are given two hands to work and two legs to move ourselves in getting our work done, we are given our mind to understand why are we doing the work and what will it accomplish in addition to how we can do the task at hand in a better way.
- There are no good or bad thoughts: Am I stretching it too far by saying that there are no bad thoughts? Suppose there is someone who has left a deep and intense wound in your life and the very thought of that person, you would like to just destroy or eliminate him/her in the best possible way. Is that a good thought? Nope. Is it a bad thought? Nope. It is your feeling at that time which makes you think in such a way. Instead of running away, you should encourage that thought. Think of how you can eliminate or teach him a lesson. Then as you think further you will be presented with outcomes- execute a plan at getting even or do nothing. Your mind then explains the outcomes to you where in the former case you may invite trouble and sometimes disastrous consequences at a cost or in the latter case you can train yourselves at forgiveness and letting go with the hope that by doing so, you accumulate good karma for the future. Also doing the latter is difficult than the former, but more rewarding. Thus by allowing and training the mind to reason in such a way, you open newer doors of enlightenment and understanding, you never thought you ever had!
- Never stop thinking: Most of the time I have seen how good initiatives don’t reach their intended outcomes, not by what is not done but by a lack of thought put into it (it results in a product with no purpose). Think about this, we are amazing products created with deep thought and purpose and put in this world for this time and age for a reason. The thinking that has gone behind our creation is unfathomable. So if we are created in the image of God, why should we not think before we leap, think before we act, think before we talk? What is wrong in thinking? I believe the biggest mistake is not when we think but when we don’t think.
In a day of 24 hours, we spend upto 8 hrs sleeping, 8 hrs working and the remaining time for eating, enjoying or getting things done in our quest for a meaningful life. We should spend atleast one hour thinking about our purpose and search within ourselves and our experiences for meaning in our lives. If we can create this margin in our lives on a go forward basis, we will be able to change our it significantly and live an enormously successful and resourceful life.
Tenny Thomas 
I found your thoughts in syn with mine. Good reading, keep it up.
My 8th grade teacher in school, the notorious Bro. Benjamin always told us after he asked a question with a cane in his hand ‘Thinking is Dangerous’!