Creating The Mindset That Leads To Success

Have you ever struggled with thoughts that come to mind. Whether they are thoughts of fear, sinful thoughts, past situations we wish we could forget, or worries about the future. I know I have.

Human beings have 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day, most of them go unaware. Although unaware, it still affects our lives the way what happens behind the scenes of a movie also influences the movie.

This struggle can many times feel like a stronghold. A prison inside of our minds with everything we do not want held captive inside of them. What do we do with these thoughts, do we have to accept them for what they are?

I learned that I didn’t have to. The thoughts that brought me down every day or made me anxious changed. God has given every human being the ability to change their brains.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) - We demolish arguments and

every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God

and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Taking Thoughts Captive

The word captive means to imprison or confine. Confined to what? Confined to whatever you put in there. If we fill it with negative self-talk, beliefs, and imagery, then our thinking will be confined to those things. Or we can allow the word of God to confine them to thoughts that are obedient to Christ, good and beneficial.

What we put in our mind influences what we think. Do not be mistaken, the more negativity you listen to and feed your mind the more you will think in this way. The same happens in reverse. The better thoughts we have, the better we will feel and behave.

Successful people think their way through success because every behavior begins or is hindered by a thought. It all starts with our minds.

Disclaimer: I am not teaching the law of attraction. I do not believe your thoughts and words will magically create your reality and attract whatever you want to you. Just thinking it will not make it happen. This is learning to change your thoughts in an effort to change how you feel and behave. Therefore changing the impact they have on you.

Know Your History    

First, we must be aware of our limiting beliefs. Our upbringing and experiences usually create them. One quote many history professors love to say when people ask what’s the point of learning history is;

“Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.”

We must study ourselves the way a historian studies history. Working to understand how our past shapes our present. Shapes the way we see ourselves, relate to people, see the world and relate to God. We repeat the same thoughts and behaviors and must understand what shaped these thoughts and behaviors to begin with. This can be accomplished through therapy.

Our behaviors start with a thought and our thoughts come from our beliefs. Our beliefs starts with a word. Words spoken to us and what we speak to ourselves.  

Words Lead To Belief

Romans 10:17 (NIV) - Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,

and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

This is why a child who often hears they are worthless from a guardian will believe it, then act accordingly. This will become their own self talk. When a young girl hears family members often criticize how she looks, and she believes it to be true, it will affect her behaviors. She will behave as one with low self-esteem, never feel she is good enough for anyone or develop social anxiety. 

If we want to believe something different about ourselves, then our mind must hear something different about itself. This is where affirmations can help. I like to affirm myself using the word of God because I already know without a doubt that the word of God is true. 

Affirmations are the act or an instance of affirming; the assertion that something exists or is true.

Many people think saying affirmations are people lying to themselves. It is not. If done correctly. It is reprogramming ourselves. If I want to be someone who goes to the gym every week, I have to first believe I can do it. The belief will motivate me to go. Then when I go, I can use the evidence that I went, to continue to affirm my belief that I am someone who goes to the gym every week. 

“Act the way you want to be, and soon you will be the way you act.”

Most people fail at this because they say something unrealistic like, I will go to the gym every single day. From 0 days to 7 days is too overwhelming. You have to start small then grow from there. This change isn’t easy. However here are 4 ways to get started.

4 Ways To Change Your Mindset

1. Accept Responsibility For Your Thoughts And Beliefs

We fail to believe and realize that we have control over our thoughts. People often give in to the negative and think this is the way it will have to be. However, we have the ability to create new thoughts. This will then create new habits through neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the brains’ ability to change and adapt to new things and create new habits. The neural networks in our brain can change and reorganize themselves. We can change the way our brain grows the way a body builder changes his physique. 

We do this with the messaging we tell ourselves and feed our minds. Also with the mental challenges that come from no longer avoiding things in life but facing them. We must challenge our minds the way we challenge ourselves to run that extra mile. We can consume things that keep our lives more or less the same. Or, we can take responsibility for our thoughts and decide what we want to feed our minds. When we do this consistently, we will develop the discipline we need to keep it going. 

2. Think Through Your Problems Rather Than React To Them

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% your perspective. Your perspective is what will influence your reaction. When you experience difficult challenges in life, you can allow them to defeat you, or you can learn and see the opportunities it can teach you. 

Ask yourself what you learned from this situation? Whether it is a good or bad situation. Are your thoughts self-deprecating? Are you making hurtful remarks towards yourself? Thoughts like these can be hindering. Thoughts like these can lead to shame, despair, hopelessness, and anger. By taking control of your thoughts and thinking of things that are above, we can change those to honor and hopefulness.

3. Change The Beliefs That No Longer Serve You 

The thought that everything has to be perfect before you can start. I am worthless. I cannot handle failure. I am unlovable.

Change those beliefs because they are all built on fallacies. 

Question the validity of these thoughts. Who told you this and made you feel this way? Are they right? Can they be wrong? Does it matter what they think? Are there times of success that I am disregarding? Put your thoughts on the stand and make it prove its’ worth. If it adds no value and is worth nothing in your life. Change it to thoughts that are more beneficial.

4. Choose To Focus Your Thoughts On The Right Things

We are to think about those things that are "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable" (Phil. 4:8). When we think about those things, God promises to give us His peace. In cognitive behavior therapy we challenge clients to think of what is true, kind, and beneficial. While struggling with a negative thought we challenge it with these three questions. If you cannot say yes to all three then change it to what is true, kind, and beneficial. Then these new thoughts will help create your new belief.

Remember this will take time and you must know and believe it is possible. The same way we should not expect to go to the gym for 2 weeks and leave with a six-pack, do not expect bad thinking to change in 2 weeks or even a month. When you change your mindset, you will notice changes in your mood and the ability to accomplish more goals. Whether that is becoming a better student, making more money, or showing up for yourself better.

“Focus on the possibilities for success not on the potential for failure”. 

Take responsibility. Take time to reflect and learn more about yourself. Think things through. Question your thoughts. Change your beliefs and train yourself to focus on the right things.

If you think of all the ways it can go wrong, it will, or most likely you won’t even try. It works in the inverse. Thinking of ways it can go right, can push you to do things that you thought were impossible for you to do.