Is this thought helping me get to where I want to go?
Have you ever boarded a train only to realize an hour down the line that you boarded the wrong one and that this one is not taking you towards your destination? But the train has so much momentum and is traveling too fast for you to just jump off. Maybe you look for the emergency break and maybe if you find it, you’d pull it.
In life we board the wrong train every day. It’s as if in our minds we have hundreds of little clones of ourselves that are running around a train station looking for a train to board. And many of them board the wrong trains because they do not know which direction they are heading.
In life we jump on the negative and unhelpful thought train every day a few times. And that’s ok. But the problem is that many of us and our little clones are lacking a direction to our journey. Without that you can’t live a fulfilling life and have a good ride.
Personal values are what give our life a direction. Goals are the destinations along the way to that direction. So what in your life do you stand for and wish to be remembered for?
The best question to ask yourself when you have boarded the negative thought train is: Is this thought helping me get to where I want to go?
In order to answer this, you can see how you first need to know where you want to go. You need to know the direction you are taking and the goals you are working towards.
You can also ask yourself:
Is this thought helping me go in a valued direction?
Is it helping me achieve my goals and live in accordance with my values?
Quite often the answer is no. Our minds can play tricks on us. Do not take your mind seriously because it is just doing its job: producing thoughts and trains. And only you can chose which train to board.
Originally published at medium.com