Author Napoleon Hill said, “More gold has been mined from the thoughts of man than has ever been taken from the earth”. When you take the time to learn how to change your thinking and become a better thinking, you are investing in yourself. Gold mines tap out. Stock markets crash. Real estate investments can go sour. Bet a human mind with the ability to think well is like a diamond mine that never runs out. – John C. Maxwell
Maxwell (2009) lists six ways to becoming a better thinker.
Expose yourself to good input.
What and who are you allowing yourself and your thoughts to be influenced by. What are you reading and how are you developing your thoughts.
2. Expose yourself to good thinkers.
In Proverbs 17:17, we learn that sharp people sharpen one another, just as iron sharpens iron. Are those around you sharpening you or making your dull?
3. Chose to think good thoughts.
Thinking is a discipline. Learning to capture every thought is easier said than done. But once you hone this skill, you’ll begin to realize the good and bad thoughts and how those thoughts are influencing your actions and behaviors.
4. Act on Good Thoughts.
Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date (Maxwell,2009). It’s been said that the human brain thinks up to 50,000 thoughts and ideas every single day. That’s a lot of thoughts.
5. Allow your emotions to create another good thought.
Don’t ever give in your thoughts based on your emotions or feelings. Have you ever done that and later regretted it? I know I have.
6. Repeat the process.
Momentum also makes a huge difference. When you have no momentum, even the simplest tasks can seem to be insurmountable problems. But when you have momentum on your side, the future looks bright, obstacles appear small, and trouble seems temporary. But once you start thinking good thoughts and capturing them, it’s like the gold miner who is mining for gold. Once they find it, they continue the process.