Soul Sustenance

Understanding The Different Types Of Thoughts That The Mind Creates

By understanding each one of the thoughts that the mind creates we can keep the beneficial thoughts and discard those which are useless or harmful. Today we explain: Necessary Thoughts Necessary thoughts are those relating to your daily routine, such as, * What am I going to have for dinner? * What time am I picking up the children from school? * What is the number of my bank account? * What have I got to do today? They are also thoughts connected with your profession or job. These necessary thoughts relating to your daily life come into your mind according to your responsibilities and needs at a more physical, material and professional level. When these thoughts are repeated over and over again, they become unnecessary or waste thoughts.

Unnecessary (Waste) Thoughts Unnecessary thoughts are thoughts that are produced at untimely moments that fill us with worry and anxiety when they appear in our minds. They have no constructive use. Unnecessary and useless thoughts are quick and repetitive which lead you nowhere. Often they refer to things from the past: * If this hadn't happened? * Why did she have to say that to me? Too many thoughts are about things that we cannot change, or worries about the future, like: * What will happen tomorrow? * How will it happen? * What will I do if I find myself on my own? * If I had been there at the time, this disaster would not have happened. * If I had had this information at the time, I would have won the case. * When I get the qualification, I will be more respected by my superiors. Your ability to concentrate is weakened by these useless thoughts. If you have a lot of these thoughts you use more energy and time to undertake each task. The origins of negativity also reside in them. From the time that the past has already passed and the future is yet to come, these kinds of thoughts are not useful and they also weaken your inner strength and exhaust you. It is vital that we learn to avoid this pattern of thinking. In this way you will be more focused and your decision making capacity will improve

Negative thoughts harm you and are not good for you. As well as the impact they may have on others, these thoughts disturb your peace and weaken your inner strength. If these thoughts occur on a regular basis, they can cause health problems, both physical and mental. They can even become destructive. Negative thoughts are based on the five vices primarily – lust, anger, greed, ego, attachment. They are chiefly caused by selfish and harmful reasons, without taking into account the values and inner qualities of the person. * If he speaks to me again in that way I'll beat him up (rage), * I think they should pay me more without having to do any more work to earn it (greed). Negative thoughts also arise from unsatisfied expectations, in disagreements, in laziness, vengeance, racism, jealousy, criticism, hate and an excess of power. * My boss never appreciates my work but he always values my colleagues more (jealousy). * An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth or * He who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword (vengeance). 

Negative Thoughts . If your thoughts are based on the five vices or related emotions (as explained ), it is as if you had poisoned your own mind and the atmosphere around you. However much you may be right, it does not matter. By thinking negatively you will always be the loser, since negative thoughts take away the respect you have for yourself and others respecting you. Generally speaking, people who think very negatively about others will often find themselves alone, even though they have many relationships. Other people will try to avoid someone who has angry thoughts since anger is like a fire that destroys and causes damage, and nobody wants to approach this fire. A negative person who only sees the negative side of things causes disharmony in their immediate environment. These types of thoughts are more prevalent in people today, and are one of the causes of stress, fragmentation, aggressiveness and suffering in our current society. At a practical level, negative thoughts make you lose energy and weaken you. They are a form of inner pollution that must be cleansed so that your mind becomes a more efficient tool. 

 Positive Thoughts 

Positive thoughts are those thoughts which give us and others the experience of our original virtues like peace, love, bliss, happiness, etc. They enable you to accumulate inner strength and equip you to be constructive. Positive thoughts are always beneficial in all circumstances, without trapping you in the external appearance of a situation. Thinking positively does not mean ignoring the reality of your world and living in a fantasy or longing to be another person. For example, if you were to repeat over and over again, "I am well, am well," when you were ill, this is not what we mean by positive thinking. Thinking positively involves looking at problems and recognizing reality, but at the same time being able to find solutions without becoming obsessed or confused. This often requires tolerance, patience and common sense. A person who thinks positively is aware of the weaknesses of others, but even then will direct their attention towards their positive characteristics.