Humans have 40,000 to 80,000 thoughts each day depending on the source you reference. Maybe a hundred of those are ideas and a smaller percentage, let’s say 2%, are actually good actionable ideas. That’s two really good ideas you have each day.
Think of all you could do if you acted on two good ideas per day.
There’s more to how we think, though. It’s also been estimated that 70% of our thoughts are negative and 90% are repetitive. This statistic makes those thoughts and ideas sound a little less tantalizing. It’s also why so many gurus and self-help experts focus on positive thinking.
People who experience depression, from my personal experience and other research I’ve read over the years, are more prone to repetitive thoughts of shame, anger, regret, and sorrow — negativity — while people who suffer from anxiety are prone to worrying about what might go wrong — more negativity.
Let’s face it, if you’re thinking about all the bad stuff that happened to you in the past or all the bad stuff that might happen to you in the future, then there’s no room in your fearful head for a good thought or great idea.
If this is you, then your next thought will be similar to the last, reinforcing the idea that you’re not good enough or that your idea won’t work or that no one will like you even if you complete the goal. You may be so scared your work toward any goal will end in failure, that you don’t even try.
No one is immune. Fear lives inside me just like you, except now I know what to do with it. But in my earlier days, it got me just like everyone else. I don’t live in the past. I, most of the time, live in the future — where fear lives. Living in the future brings unease, anxiety, tension, stress and worry. I am often anxious and worry about what might happen. This stress has me constantly planning and hustling to avoid that fateful moment when my fears come true. I must constantly remind myself that
the future doesn’t exist, and I create it with each next action I take knowing that next action is the correct one.
I must realize, each moment, that I will never be happy if I’m constantly worried. Not that happiness is always the end goal, but happiness for people is generally a desirable outcome.
Happiness is not a treasure to be found. It is in us already, just like love and joy.
Each of these exist along with sadness, pain, and other necessary feelings you would rather not experience. However, that’s just it. Each of these feelings are in us and it is up to us which ones to express and to what extent.
Excerpt from Achieve: Overcome Obstacles. Find Time for Greatness. Develop a Framework to Achieve Anything.
