Thoughts are Things

When I was quite young, I read a small pamphlet titled "Thoughts are things". The message set forth in this pamphlet states that our thoughts are useful tools which when used and and directed properly, can change our lives for greater fulfillment and happiness.
As I grew older, I came to realize that, there are many who are aware of the importance of thought, but still neglect to adopt the discipline and control to steer their thoughts towards achieving greater and more fulfilling lives.
The great power inherent in our thoughts is a phenomenon that has been known and accepted throughout the ages. 'Gautama' the Buddha stated that "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become".
Later, the Roman Emperor and great philosopher Marcus Aurelius stated "Your disposition will be suitable to that which you most frequently think on, for the soul is, as it were, tinged with the color and complexion of its own thoughts". General world view and position on this subject should of course be much the same, because after-all, the truth remains the truth.
Our thoughts have been ascertained to be the the underlying force in all forms of creativity, which has contributed immensely to the development and growth of our universe. Life will not be half as nice as it is today, without positive thoughts of the creative kind.

So, how do we begin to recognize the importance of having and using positive thoughts? Because as much as positive creative thoughts can build and develop, negative destructive thoughts can also break and destroy. It is therefore absolutely necessary that we strive to censor and control our thoughts at all times.
If it is true that we become what we think, then don't you think we should at least try to concentrate our thoughts on WHAT and WHO we would like to become?
Prentice Mulford in his book "Your forces and how to use them", had this to say "To learn to forget is as necessary and useful as to learn to remember. We think of many things everyday which it would be more profitable not to think of at all. To be able to forget, is to be able to drive away the unseen force (thought) which is injuring us, and change it for a force (or order of thought) to benefit us". Dr Wayne .W. Dyer sums it up thus "Keep reminding yourself; i get what i think about, whether i want it or not". Therefore, i think it is imperative that we all learn to control our thoughts.

Thought Control
For starters, the first step would be for most of us to try and develop our ability to even think at all in the first place. Most of us are lazy, and would very much prefer to engage others to think for us. These days, there is a profusion of paid services which are devoted to providing thought services to clients. Some of us lack confidence in our ability and capacity to think. How many of us would try to read the fine print of a Sales contract, a Life insurance policy or a Lease agreement? We prefer to employ a professional thinker, in this case, an 'attorney', to read, interpret, and process the document for us. It has gotten so bad, that when we purchase new gadgets like phones, laptops, tablets, and other HI Tech stuff, or maybe even when downloading and installing applications from the internet, we are asked if we agree to the Terms and Conditions;  It is quite rare to see anyone who ACTUALLY reads the terms and conditions. It is considered a boring waste of time. We simply prefer to click on 'I Agree', without having the slightest hint of what we are agreeing to.

The services of the Marriage Counselor, the Psychologist, the Income Tax Expert, the Life Coach, and even the fortune teller are similar in the sense that they all think professionally for their clients. These professionals are no much different from us. They possess the same natural capabilities as ourselves, but they have been trained to think in a coordinated manner, with self discipline. Surprisingly enough, with that same training and discipline, we can serve and think for ourselves. We have the capacity and ability to think constructively and control our thoughts, but our lazy disposition would always push us to prefer paying a stranger to think for us. Sometimes, it is even a status thing to have someone else do the thinking. In today's society, having an attorney, psychologist, and a host of other professional thinkers on your payroll, distinguishes you as a person of class.
There is no secret  knowledge or special powers that these people posses. What they do have is ambition, determination, and confidence.

Natural Intelligence
There are great philosophers who know and teach that the most profound source of knowledge and wisdom lies within each one of us. The Divine Consciousness within each one of us is acquainted with our problems, and is uniquely capable of advising us as to what is best for our particular needs. This is not a magical or superstitious process, it is simply a means by which we can use our native abilities to think about our problems in an organised manner. It is necessary to engage our minds in contemplation for complete analysis and recognition of our problems, their origins, effects, and possible solutions.
Most of us turn to professional thinkers and advisers, because we simply have no faith in our own thinking abilities. But surprisingly, these professionals use the same brain equipment possessed by each of us. They are more expert in a particular subject because they have read and studied more on that subject. We could also prepare ourselves in the same manner. They have more confidence in their abilities, because after preparation, they have been tested by others to prove their proficiency. We could also do the same. The great Horticulturist, Luther Burbank opined that "Less than 15% of people do any original thinking on any subject". He also went further to say "The greatest torture in the world for most people is to think". If this is true,is it any wonder the world is no better?

Thoughts are in fact things
Due to the fact that thoughts are not tangible or visible to the human eye, many of us have difficulty in accepting the fact that thoughts really are  things. The obvious fact is that thoughts are the nuts and bolts of individual acts. Take as an analogy picking up a lifeless novel , which consists of ink and paper that spell out words. Reading those printed words creates thoughts that become vibrant scenes and living characters in our minds.Our thoughts create living things in our minds that are not apparent on the ink and paper of the book.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "Great men are they who see that Spiritual is stronger than Material force, that thoughts rule the world".

It was the great thoughts expressed in the Magna Carta, that led one family of man in the world from serfdom  to liberty and equal rights. The United Nations Charter is another collection of great thoughts today, moving mankind gradually towards the realization that we are one, and that we all need each other.
 Mark Twain also said "Life does not consist mainly - or even largely - of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever blowing through one's head". We have to understand that all and every action is preceded by thoughts. The man-made errors we observe throughout the world today, are the consequences of misguided, or stupid thoughts of men, or even worse , the total lack of thought by foolish men.
On the other hand, most of the greater benefits man has enjoyed over time, have followed from the great and honorable thoughts of the world's heroes.
Nothing just merely happens. Great things begin as ideas - or more appropriately, as thoughts - which then leads to plans. Plans are thoughts, and the manifestation of such plans, comes about through the process of following through with the plan. Procedures are thoughts, and great thoughts reduced to practice, become great acts.

Creative Instincts
Productive thoughts seldom develop out of idle daydreams or fantasies. Imagination is dynamic thought, which is disciplined, controlled, and creative. There is simply no problem on planet Earth that man cannot solve or correct through creative thought. We have each been blessed with the gift of thought, but we and we alone can put it to creative use. A better and richer world is ours to build, using our natural tools of thought, for after all is said and done, thoughts are indeed things.
According to Napoleon Hill, in his book 'Think and grow rich' "Truly thoughts are things, and powerful things at that, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire for their translation into riches, or other material objects".

Once you fully understand and agree with the the concepts outlined in this article, you can truly begin to direct your thoughts to bring about exactly what you want out of life.
According to research, a healthy human being is expected to have approximately 50,000 thoughts daily. If someone were to analyze your 50,000 daily thoughts, what do you think the result of the analysis will be? Would it show mostly positive, or mostly negative thoughts? Would it show a purposeful, directed thinking aimed at a specific, worthy target, that would benefit yourself as well as others?

Let us all begin today, to direct our thoughts and attempt to align them with lofty ideals and objectives. If we can do this, there is nothing that can stop us from achieving whatever we set out to.