WATCH (Words, Actions, Thoughts, Character, Habits)
Dear friends and Society members,
This month I want to share with you a thought that I hold close to my heart. I have applied this principle in my own life and believe it has played a big part in shaping my life and success: Our calling, purpose and ultimately our destiny is a direct result of what we think, say and do.
From small details to large life transformations, the quality of our thoughts and words can and will cause our lives to change for better or worse. It all starts with a thought. That thought produces internal (self-talk) or external words (actual vocalized words spoken to ourselves or others) that produce an action (or inaction). That action if repeated becomes a habit. That habit starts to create our character and finally results as our destiny. It is well known from likes of Bruce Lee, Napoleon Hill, Buddha and the Bible that our thoughts and words carry heavy weight on our future and those around us.
Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become your character.
And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
- Unknown
I read this quote in a book and it struck me so hard that I wrote it on my white board at work for all of the patients in the mental health clinic to see. They love it and many of them take a picture.
Bruce Lee studied, understood and practiced how our behaviors, mind, decisions and words affect our destiny. After all, Lee studied philosophy while at the University of Washington from 1961 to 1964. Lee shaped his philosophy of martial arts and life within Jeet Kune Do from concepts of Taoism and Buddhism. Bruce Lee also read and utilized the book written by Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich”. He wrote is own (see Bruce’s actual document below to the left) “Definite Chief Aim” taken from Hill’s book and used it as a way to achieve his personal goals through mental thought and verbal self-affirmations. I have different goals every year but I keep something similar in my office at home that serves as a reminder of who I am becoming, what I believe is possible and what I’m actively creating (below to the right).
We as human beings have the freedom of expression, AND the freedom of SPEECH! This isn’t a political writing though, I’m talking about how we use our thoughts and speech to affect OURSELVES and others.
Everything is energy and it cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. The energy we put out can be negative or positive. Our thoughts expressed into words transmit energy that can translate into becoming hurtful, comforting or motivational, for example. How we speak to ourselves will determine our inner psychology which manifests into action.
I once heard motivational speaker Tony Robbins say that “we must stand guard at the gates of our minds”. With the amount of negative content and conduct in the world and on social media we must be careful what we let into our minds for it can take hold of our thoughts and beings. We should also stand guard at our speech, equally important. We are what we think and say.
“All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the world.
Speak or act with an impure mind
And trouble will follow you
As the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart”.
- The Dhammapada: The Sayings of the Buddha
Fundamentally positive thoughts and words positively affect ourselves and those around us. With this, we can benefit humanity and connect to our inner spirit. This is also why the music we listen to, and sing and play for our children are so important. I grew up listening to Hip Hop. Most Hip Hop speaks of murder, violence, drugs and sex. While I still love listening to Mob deep, Biggie and Tupac for its nostalgia, word-play, rhythms and beats, I am fully aware of the negativity that lies within its words and I’m careful not to allow it to enter my inner world or to play it around my son. It’s rare, but pretty dope to hear a truly good hip hop track that is focused on positivity these days. I realize more that I enjoy more meaningful, peaceful and uplifting music from all genres because it keeps me in the right state of mind.
James the Apostle stated: “The tongue is an unruly member,” which is like the rudder of a ship, if it is not controlled it creates problems for all of us. Like a small rudder can steer a huge ship, our words may on the surface appear as superficial and meaningless, but they have the power to direct our destination in life. If we use mindful intention and speech we can harmonize the connection and process from thought to destiny and therefore produce the results we so desire.
All in all, we are the captains of our own ships. Prominent people in history have proved to us that our thoughts, words and therefore our actions hold the power to create our character and determine our destiny and that thoughts and words positively or negatively affect those around us. With that said, stand guard at the gate of your mind and speak with proper intent and conviction.