I long have been intrigued by the Celtic spirituality of the late John O’Donohue. I summarize my take on several of his books in the following blog entry from last year.
http://thequestforagoodlife.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/celtic-spirituality/
Recently, I had the opportunity to listen to Krista Tippett’s uncut interview with O’Donohue for a program on national public radio.
Something that O’Donohue said in this interview that really has caused some pause in me is to consider the habitual ways in which we think. First, O’Donohue says, think about the seven thoughts (give or take a few – there’s nothing necessarily magical about seven) to which we most commonly return. Then, consider seven thoughts that maybe we have flirted with, or maybe that never have fully taken root in our consciousness, that would expand or revitalize us. Finally, consider replacing some of the first set with the second. (For those familiar with cognitive models of change, there is a lot of similarity here.)
I have been ruthlessly observing my thoughts since hearing this challenge. Some of these thoughts that I observe in myself generally are healthy and productive. One example is the thought: “What could I do to be more effective?”. Some thoughts generally are unhealthy and unproductive. For instance, I often think (particularly with respect to manual tasks): “Others are going to view me as inept.” Finally, some of my habitual thoughts have their pros and cons, such as: “Is there something wrong?”. (The benefit of this last thought is that I am conscientious to potential problems; the downside is that I probably experience more anxiety than necessary.)
Perhaps more powerful for me has been to consider possible thoughts I have not fully entertained, but that perhaps would be helpful. To reflect on this, I have thought about people I deeply respect, some of whom I know personally and some of whom I know from afar from their life stories, and imagined the kinds of habitual thoughts to which they likely return. Some of these thoughts include the following: “What is beautiful here?,” “What would Jesus do?,” “How can I be a peaceful presence here?,” “How can I serve in this situation?,” “What am I curious about here?,” “How are others feeling in this situation?,” and “What am I grateful for?”
It has been a powerful exercise for me to become more aware of my thinking patterns, to emphasize healthy thoughts, to challenge and replace unhealthy thoughts, and to imagine new ways of thinking. I believe that changing one’s habitual modes of thought have the potential to change one’s habitual modes of feeling and acting, creating a paradigm shift in one’s entire life experience. Indeed, even a shift in one of these fundamental thoughts has the potential to dramatically alter one’s life experience.
This emphasis on being intentional about one’s thinking is reflected in much of the Bible.
For instance, Philippians 4:8 states:
“. . . whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 notes:
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Finally, as Proverbs 23:7 has been paraphrased:
“As you think, so shall you be.”
