Listen to episode 289 of the Inspirational Living podcast: Overcoming Troubles & Difficulties. Adapted from the book The Power of Thought by Henry Thomas Hamblin.
Motivational Podcast Excerpt: Welcome to the Inspirational Living podcast. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or to leave us a review at the iTunes store. Today’s reading was edited and adapted from The Power of Thought by Henry Thomas Hamblin, published in 1924.
WHY is thinking right thoughts so important? It’s important because it influences our actions. It’s important because it builds up character and a steadfast mind. It’s important because upon it our well-being and the success of our whole life depend. It’s important because it is by right thought that we can overcome harmful suggestion.
First of all, we have to realize that thought is the cause of our actions and decisions. It is largely because of this that our circumstances depend upon our thoughts. If, for instance, we do not overcome life's difficulties in our thoughts, then we can never overcome them in actual experience. By this I mean that our difficulties must be boldly met and conquered in thought, if ever we are to hope to overcome them in reality.
In a way, it is good advice to tell people not to dwell upon their woes but to think of pleasant things instead — however, it is liable to lead to a habit of thought almost as destructive as brooding over trouble. This negative application of what is meant to be good advice is responsible for the failure of those who say, “I have tried right- thinking, but it makes no difference.” The reason “it makes no difference” is that it is not right-thinking at all, but actually a form of wrong-thinking.
Such people say, “I never indulge in wrong thoughts about my troubles. I refuse to think about them.” Just so, and it is there where the whole trouble lies. Instead of life's troubles being met boldly and conquered in thought, they run away from them. As soon as the mind comes up against an unpleasant thought — the thought of an irksome duty that must be done or of a crisis that must be faced, or of a difficulty that has to be overcome — the mind dodges it and moves on to something more pleasant.