Put a smile in your thoughts.

Good morning.

Are you sure that’s even you?? I don’t feel very ‘good-morningish’ right now, and I’m not even convinced that’s you.

It’s me.

You God? As in, Father, Son and Spirit?

Yes, us. What would you like to know?

Whatever you want to say.

About?

Whatever you want to say it about. 

Let’s start with you.

You want me to say something, or you want to talk about me?

Talk about you. 

Which bit?

Your thinking.

That would be welcome. My thoughts are seldom bright and airy, not often happy or cheerful and almost never sunny. So, there you have it. 

That’s actually a very accurate assessment, well done.

Cheers. I do remember what sunny thinking feels like, I mean it happens occasionally, but not often. When it does it’s transformational, and almost always when I’m on holiday and the day is sunny.

Would you like to feel like that at other times?

Of course! I’d like to feel like it lots of times. Every now and then when I do feel like it I resolve to feel it more often, but it seems to escape somehow.

Yes.

You’re not going to roll out that cliche about how I let circumstances control my thinking, are you? I know all that, I mean I teach this stuff.

So, if you’re telling it to others, what’s wrong with me saying it to you?

To be honest, it sounded great when I first heard it, but after 40 years of trying to believe it, it doesn’t seem to have worked. Look at me, my thinking is still pretty awful. I’m always having to kick myself out of feeling that things in my life aren’t going that well.

Are they going well, or aren’t they?

Yes! That’s the stupid thing, even though I generally feel like they’re not, most things are actually going better than they’ve ever done. 

So, it’s thinking, rather than reality? Your thinking makes you feel things aren’t much chop, when in reality, everything is going swimmingly, yes. 

Yes. Hard to deny.

So, what do you think we should do about your thinking?

We? You’d help? Like I mean, really help, not just lecture me about ‘stinking thinking’ and all those other cliches?

Of course I’ll help, I’m here aren’t I?

Yes, but you can’t help being here, you’re everywhere.

Sure, but I’m talking about being here in spirit, wanting to be alongside you.

Alright, fair enough, but in answer to your question, I don’t actually know what ‘we’ should do about it. I know most of the answers already, I mean I’ve read the books, but they don’t seem to work for any decent period of time. I seem to quickly forget all that stuff and return to my normal thinking.

Nevertheless, you agree it would be great to have more consistent and reliable control over your thinking?

Of course. But how? I’m no longer convinced it’s even possible. Not for me anyway. I mean how is this discussion actually going to change anything? It sounds like what I’ve taught others, and tried to teach myself so many times. It makes me feel great for a short moment, but has no lasting effect.

Have you finished?

What?

Feeling sorry for yourself.

Ok, true, but, God, what to do about all this?

Think.

Think what?

Think better thoughts. 

Oh, lovely, easier said than done though.

No, listen, it’s actually possible. Here’s how you do it. In each situation, think a better thought than the one you’re thinking now. That’s all. Don’t try and change your entire way of thinking, who can do that? Just do this; ask yourself what would be a better thought than this thought I’m thinking now. Even just one thought better, not the perfect thought, just one at least slightly better than this one.

You’re wanting me to try this right now aren’t you?

Yes…

It feels better already doesn’t it?

It kind of does. I don’t want to admit it, but, yes, it does. It’s sort of like when my mum used to say, “Put a smile on your face, or I’ll smack your backside”. Back then I tried not to do what she demanded, but the fear of a smack made me grudgingly smile and the moment I did, the world seemed to change.

Exactly. The moment you forced yourself to smile, even though it was in fear of a smack, you immediately felt better. What we’re talking about here is putting a smile in your thoughts.

You mean think about smiling?

No. I mean do what I just said, think a better thought.

What sort of better thought?


Something that’s obviously better than the thought that’s making you feel down. If you realise you’re thinking about being under pressure at work, think instead about why you enjoy your job – if you catch yourself thinking that someone is upsetting you, think instead about their strengths, what you like about them, or if you don’t like them, something undeniably good about them.

Pretty simple. I bet it leads to a smile in your thoughts, more than a smile, a feeling of summer sun, of light, of relief of the burdens you’re carrying in your mind at that moment.

Really? Well, ok, I can see that would work. But how to keep thinking that way, that’s what worries me!

Make a start. At first, just do it when you remember and you catch yourself thinking thoughts that are making you feel average or worse and your mind goes to this discussion. If your thoughts are not making you feel those sunny holiday feelings, think a better thought. You could be feeling those sunny feelings a lot more you realise? 

Recognise that it’s your thinking making you feel ‘dark rainy day’ feelings. You could be thinking a better thought no matter how shitty things are right now. Ask yourself what a better thought than this one might be, and then, even if it’s not the perfect thought, provided it’s better than what you’re thinking now, go ahead and think it. You’ll be surprised, the way you’re feeling will change completely.

Ok, alright, I can see that, I mean I actually can sort of feel it, even just thinking about it I can, but I’m still concerned that it won’t last. When I remember to do it, fine, but most often, I never seem to remember. 

This is different. This is a habit that’s easier to establish than the huge, seemingly impossible task of changing one’s thinking. I mean, where do you even start, to do something like ‘changing your thinking’, what does that even mean?? This is where you start. Think a better thought. 

Here are the steps. Whenever you become aware that you are thinking thoughts that make you feel just sort of average or less (which is a good percentage of the time) don’t start trying to herd up all your negative thoughts and toss them out in one big lot, you’ll never manage it. Just take little steps – just try thinking a better thought, even slightly better.

What sort of better thought?

It will come to you. Don’t over analyse it. Lesson over.

True?

True. Now, whenever your mind turns to this conversation, try what we’ve talked about. It will change your life and the lives of those around you, I can promise you that.