When we are learning any new skill, we know that growth requires practice. Whether it’s learning to play guitar or dribbling a basketball, the goal is to be able to perform the proceanss without having to consciously think about it. If we want to be able to perform a process automatically, it requires consistent, repetitive rehearsal. The same is true when we are retuning the mind with healthy, life-giving thoughts. I want to challenge us at the beginning of this new year with a 21-day retuning of the mind. Let’s take the next 21 days to really promote some healthy thinking that will produce the growth that we want to experience throughout the rest of this year.
Why 21-days? Dr. Caroline Leaf discusses using the Quantum Zeno Effect or QZE in bringing changes to the brain. “QZE is the repeated effort that causes learning to take place. When you go over and over something, reading it, thinking about it, writing it down, and then repeating this process, you deepen your knowledge and understanding, direct your attention, and grow nerve cells. The neurons in your brain line up and fire together because you are firing synapses over and over, which causes genetic expression to happen and makes the synapses and proteins stronger. The changes in your brain caused by this deep, repeated, intellectually targeted focus can be seen with brain imaging techniques.” This benefit is spiritually found in the practice of meditation.
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways, (Psalm 119:15, NIV).
As we meditate on and reinforce the healthy thoughts, we are bringing changes that will become automatic and flow as new roots in our tree of life. For the next 21-days, we will take seven to ten minutes daily to walk through retuning our minds. I’m going to introduce you to the steps, and I encourage you to repeat this process not just over the next 21-days but walking through this cycle throughout the year and beyond.
Step 1
Begin to be aware of what you are allowing into your mind. This is like establishing a checkpoint in your mind where thoughts have to be identified as healthy or toxic. Begin to focus on the feelings you are having emotionally and physically as you have the thought. Do the thoughts you are aware of at this moment make you feel peace or worry? Is there tension in your shoulders?
Step 2
Now that you are aware of the thought coming in, you can experiment with changing it. At this step we are going to choose what thought we want to replace the negative one and begin practicing it, using our imagination. Through visualizing and reflection we will begin to strengthen the new thought.
Step 3
Write down the new thought. The process of writing consolidates the memory and adds clarity. Use a thought journal, index cards or sticky notes to write down the replacement thoughts and place them where you will visually rehearse.
Step 4
Retune the thoughts. Review what you have written down and see if it is reinforcing the new thoughts that you are wanting to strengthen. Make any adjustments that you might need to add. This step is practicing self-reflection and empowering your ability to think through your reactions and solutions.
Step 5
Rehearse the healthy thought. In this final step, you will want to take action on the thought by speaking it. You will begin to line up the thought with the words flowing out of your mouth.
Now is the time to re-tune our mind and begin to change the way we think and feel about ourselves in this new year!
Continue the Pursuit,
Denise
