A Practical Roadmap for Finding and Spreading HopeSample

Day 2 Mindset: The victory of hope is in your second thought. 

The battle of the mind is won in your second thought. We all have first thoughts that we cannot control. We do choose if we want to believe, harbor, entertain, or dwell on our initial thoughts. Many times our first thoughts can be destructive, selfish, cynical, impure, harsh, or hopeless. An excellent option is to reject the toxic thought and shift your focus to a new thought.

I encourage you to be an expert thought replacer. Be ready during the day to insert thoughts that are true, noble, pure, inspiring, and hopeful. You can have these statements ready and select them repeatedly throughout the day. When I was at my lowest point in life, I knew that my stinking thinking needed to change. I sensed that I could not continue to be passive, negative, or too hard on myself. There had to be a better way, and there was. 

Renewing your mind is powerful. It might not feel natural at first. There is a four-part sequence: unconscious incompetence (you do not know what you do not know), conscious incompetence (you become aware of what you need to add), conscious competence (you have to really think about what you are doing), unconscious competence (it is now natural). Think of when you learned as a child to tie your shoes. You went through this progression. The space between your ears sets the trajectory of your life. Input leads to output. What are you feeding your mind? What second thoughts do you want to formulate, embrace, and meditate on frequently?