Our lives are defined by the things we learn in our pasts. Many are helpful: “Don’t touch that hot stove” or “Tell the truth.” But some of the beliefs we internalize are quite harmful: “You’re damaged goods” or “You’re not good/smart/pretty enough to do that.”
Our brain is constantly pumping out thoughts, like our heart is pumping out blood. But these thoughts are not all of equal value. Work to see the difference.
Dr. William Osler, one of the founders of Johns Hopkins Medical School, may have said it best: “Shut out all of your past except that which will help you weather your tomorrows.”
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is currently the most common type of mental health counseling. One of its goals is to make people more aware of their thoughts and then help them examine their thinking for accuracy and effectiveness. In short, are the thoughts true and helpful?
While CBT training was developed for clinical psychologists beginning in the 1960’s the principles behind it are certainly not new. In fact, William James (1842-1910), one of the fathers of modern psychology, said “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.” And centuries before that another William (Shakespeare) wrote “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
Unfortunately, we seldom slow down enough to examine our thinking. People tend to accept their thoughts, opinions, and judgments as “the gospel truth” and then cling to them “through thick and thin.”
But remember, at one point we all believed in Santa Claus but most of us decided to change this point of view. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy Christmas, it just means we’re able to think about it a little differently.
