Thoughts create feelings (emotions).
Those feelings create actions.
Those actions create your outcomes.
This is a mindset formula that I learned in the 80s. I still believe it’s true. I’ve seen evidence of it over and over and over again.
I have studied this standard formula deeper over the years, picked it apart, questioned it, worked through it for myself and with clients, read different theories, listened to different experts...it’s been my obsession for a long time.
While I still think it’s true, I have found some important nuances and common pitfalls.
If you just look at the simple formula you might be tempted to try to just try to think happy thoughts and expect your life to be the perfect highlights reel. That doesn’t work. I tried it.
It’s kind of right, but not totally.
What creates the thought in the first place? Our thoughts come from the programming that happened in childhood - family & cultural messages- spoken and unspoken, experiences we had, and what we saw happening around us.
That programming lives in our subconscious and forms our beliefs, which create our thoughts. We assume these beliefs are all true. We don’t even question them.
Do not despair if you don’t like your programming - neuroscience shows us we can rewire our brain! We can look at and change our core beliefs.
Then there are theories that say repressed emotions actually create thoughts – a book called “Letting Go”, by David R Hawkins. I find this is also true.
See how the nuances to that simple formula are important?
Then there are the behaviorist theories that say action drives your thoughts and feelings – a trip to the gym, helping someone in need, and spring cleaning all prove this to ALSO be true.
So I have decided not to get caught up in which causes what so much as the simple awareness of our thoughts, and our feelings and our actions. Once we have clear awareness, we can choose the correct intervention that will give us the changes we desire.
It’s not that complicated really, once you get the hang of it.
I often work with clients on the thoughts-feelings-actions formula and how to use it to create the life they want. We look at our thoughts and challenge the beliefs that create them. We look at our emotions and question where they came from, which ones are we resisting? And we look at our actions, or inactions, to see if they align with what we want.
So if you’re feeling bleh, heavy, anxious, or if life just doesn’t quite feel like it’s the best it could be, maybe this is a tool you need to pick up and learn how to use. I’d be honored to help you.
photo cred: hunter haley via unsplash.com