Two types of thoughts

There are only two things you can control with certainty: your actions and your thoughts. So focus all your effort on improving those things and bringing them into true alignment.

Waste no thought on the things you cannot control.

We don’t control our thoughts.

We aren’t the ones who decide what thoughts to think. We just experience them and their consequences.

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Fragments from imaginary dialogues

“How might we reconcile these two ideas?”

“There are two kinds of thoughts:

Voluntary Thoughts – within our control
Involuntary Thoughts – outside our control

Our thoughts create our reality, and most thoughts are involuntary.”

“Then where’s our control?”

“We can control our voluntary thoughts, and our response to involuntary thoughts.

Remember that beautiful quote about improvisation?

When you hit a wrong note, it’s the next note you play that determines if it’s good or bad. (Miles Davis)

We cannot control our involuntary thoughts, but we can answer unresourceful involuntary thoughts with voluntary thoughts. 

The voluntary thought is the next note you play.“

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