The Power of Positive Filters

Once again I picked up the book The*Lost*Art*of*Thinking  (asterisked to protect the droves of people who google this book and who are not looking for me and my prattle.) This of course, is the book on improving Emotional Intelligence.This time I did not pick it up for the sake of the twins. It's time to assess my own mental filters...I'm sure I'm due for a spring cleaning. Anyone who works very long with distorted, unbalanced and inaccurate thinkers must evaluate their own thought patterns from time to time. Of course, I believe that is what regular Bible study and prayer will do for people, but it doesn't hurt to take a conscious look at our thinking and perspective to be sure we have not become an overgeneralizing, negative, "mind-reading", magnifying or minimizing, critical labeler. How's that for a mouthful?

My brain hurts.

I've decided to take a piece of advice and do a 14 day thought improvement plan. Who is with me? Anybody want to try it?

14 Day Plan to Improve Thought Patterns

The topics of our conversation really can have a negative or positive influence on our health.

1. For fourteen consecutive days decide to say nothing critical or negative about anything or any person.
2. Not one critical word is allowed to be spoken to others (not even “constructive” criticisms.)
3. Speak to others using positive or neutral words or speak nothing at all (use the same rule for thoughts.)
4. If you slip upon any day during the two weeks, you begin counting again until you achieve all 14 consecutive days.
5. Don’t get discouraged if you have to start over; things will get easier as you become more aware of your thoughts.
6. After completing 14 consecutive days, constructive criticism is allowed and you will be a far better judge of what that really means.

This exercise may seem impossible for those raising children or leading in a business environment. It is possible, however, to communicate expectations and enforce consequences without critical words.

To be perfectly honest.... I've done this a few times in my life, but have yet to be very successful since the twins came to live here. Poor kids get blamed for everything, don't they? Okay, enough of that. Only positive and neutral words from here on out....

Guess who turned 18 this week? Wow! When I turned 18 and Steve turned 21 (a month apart) we  began our courtship... my mother was 37 and my dad 39 at the time, if that tells you anything. . . According to Brianna each generation gets a little bit smarter.....  No fellows on the horizons.