The Thoughts We Choose

I have read a lot about the Law of Attraction over the years, and about paying attention to our thoughts and feelings. In my experience, it is a constant practice of shifting the mind, rewiring thoughts, and replacing them with new and healthier ones. It is easy to get caught up in thoughts of drama, of doom and gloom, of failure, of loses. Or maybe it is just me.

If you are still reading this article, it probably means that I’m not alone, and you too have your drama thought moments. Thank you for being there with me as well.

We had a couple of snowstorms and extreme weather conditions, and the subway system in New York suffered a little bit, and I decided to reframe my thoughts when there were subway issues.

On Tuesday, I was on my way to a 6-week class I signed up for near Times Square. I had planned to arrive half hour early, but the subway got stuck a few times, and then went local in the city (it usually makes express stops). At first I panicked, and went through a default thought pattern. I knew I was going to be late, so I felt a contraction and stress in my body. I soon created a plan in my mind, and started seeing myself taking my coat off in the elevator, not to disturb the class as I walked in, and I also planned what I would say as an excuse. But then, I shifted. I told myself, wait, no! There is still a chance I can make it. I started asking for intervention that the train would move, and even though it was going local, I set the intention that I would make it there by 7pm. And the train started moving as soon as I shifted. Of course, it helped that I wasn’t attached to it, if I got there late I got there late, and that was that. But I didn’t. I got to the classroom at 6:59pm, and the teacher walked in at 7:01pm.

The next day something similar happened. This time I was on my way to Baruch College where I teach an undergraduate course. There was a quiz scheduled for the beginning of the class, and I still had to make copies. I planned to arrive there about one hour and a half in advance. But again, the subway got stuck. I started coming up with back up plans (I’m sure you get the pattern by now), and thought that maybe I would have to postpone the quiz until next week, and I would be lucky if I would be able to arrive there at least on time to teach the class. Again I said: wait a minute, stop! I asked for intervention that the train would start moving, and instead of seeing myself stressed and late, I saw myself arriving with plenty of time to make copies, and to show up early in case any students had any questions. And that’s what happened. I did arrive with enough time to make the copies, to check emails, and to answer students’ questions before the class started.

The thought pattern shift didn’t end there. On my way back home that same evening, the subway got stuck at Manhattan Bridge for a while. At that point I remembered when a couple of years ago, a friend of mine taking the same train during a snowstorm stayed stuck for three long hours. I started wishing I had some food with me, and I remembered that I still had some chocolate left. When panic was about to settle, the train moved, only to be stuck again underground. This time I shifted my thought sooner than the previous two. The subway moved again, and even though it went on the local track, I made it home only twenty minutes later than usual. Safe. Grateful. A little hungry.

Although being stuck on the subway and having it move instead of staying stuck for hours sounds simple, the same thought pattern behavior can be applied for other areas of our lives. It just takes effort and practice to keep shifting it, before we go through the default mode, and end up creating the worst case scenario.

Here are some steps from my own experience:

• Observe - When the thought pattern of drama gets started, become an observer and notice what’s happening.
• Backup plan – If you are like me, you may have to first figure out a backup plan if all else fails. That’s good because it helps to keep you detached from either outcome, but do it quickly and move on.
• Release – Let go of that thought pattern. One way to do it is to simply say letting go, letting go, letting go.
• Replace – Come up with a new option, ask for intervention, set an intention that it will be so, and replace your thought pattern to a more desirable outcome.
• Let it go – Breathe and let go of either outcome. Having no attachment is, for some reason, key to creating either scenario.
• Trust – Fully and completely trust that whatever happens it is going to be for the best.
• Learn from it – Either if you are able to change your thought pattern and create a new outcome or not, be aware of your thoughts. Ask what this situation is teaching you.
• Practice – Every day set an intention to be aware of your thought pattern and to shift it. It takes a lot, a lot, a lot of practice, and then, some additional practice.

Let me know if you have any examples of thought pattern shifts you made that created new outcomes for you.

Namaste,

Elisa