Change What Goes In, Change What Comes Out

If you want to change the attitudes and perspectives behind your words and actions, you have to change what you let dwell in your heart. It’s foolish to eat a diet full of high sugar, high carb food and expect that we will have good health and fit bodies. We understand that to have optimal physical health we must be mindful of healthy eating habits and food choices. The same is true if we want to have healthy mindsets and positive perspectives. We can’t fill our minds with fear, anxiety, comparison to others, discontentment, negative outlooks, and unforgiving attitudes and expect that what comes out of us will look or sound any different.

Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

If you want to begin to live a life of joy, contentment, gratitude, and peace, it begins by making healthy choices for your mind. Begin to place a filter on thoughts that enter your mind. Examine their characteristics and ask yourself if they align with the mindsets and perspectives that you want your life to exude. If you fill your mind with thoughts that are true, pure, lovely, right, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, out of your heart, and thereby your mouth, will flow those same things. The same is true if we fill our minds with thoughts that are corrupt, damaging, or untrue. Just because a thought enters your mind does not mean you are obligated to let it take residence there. Be selective in what you allow into your mind just as you are selective in what you allow into your bodies. When you catch your mind ruminating on things that pull you down, cause you to feel discontent, shame you by comparison to others, or poison you with bitterness and anger, weed those thoughts out. Grab hold of them and tell them they are no longer welcome in your mind. In their place, shift your focus to things you are grateful for, to the blessings all around you, to the valuable lessons the current challenges in your life are teaching you, and to extending grace and kindness to your fellow sojourners on this journey of life.

If you want to change what comes out, change what goes in. Don’t give an inch of your mind to things that steal your joy and contentment. Be picky with your thoughts and you will find that your minds grow healthier and healthier one thought at a time. Allow the words you speak to be a measuring rod for what is dwelling in your hearts and adjust as needed until the overflow echoes joy, contentment, peace, and love.