63,000 thoughts is the neurological estimate of thoughts that the average person has per day. Of those thoughts 90 percent of them – 56,700 – are repetitive and 80 percent of them are negative. The use of the word “negative” to describe thoughts should be clarified to mean thoughts that “negate,” as in thoughts that negate an idea, desire or possibility. One need not be cynical or pessimistic by nature to maintain thoughts that are negative in this broader context. In essence this means that only ten percent of our average thought process is actually working in our favor! And you wonder why life remains stagnant or incremental in its progress?This is why it is paramount to recognize and understand that you have a body rather than assuming you are a body. The difference in the two contexts is not semantic; it is crucial. Crucial if you want to regain impacting dominion over those 63,000 thoughts. Clearly, you cannot be vigilant over every single thought entertained in your mind – all 63,000 of ‘em. So, the effective recourse is to understand your relationship to your thought process. If you labor under the assumption (illusion) that you are your body then you take those 56,700 or so thoughts that are repetitive seriously – because they are what ‘you’ are thinking – and therefore you give credence to their validity. Even though, essentially, they reflect the rote regurgitation of subconscious programming. The chronic thoughts of doubt, fear or resistance are nothing more than the repetitive echo chamber of habitual programming. If, however, you (rightfully) recognize that you have a body you then recognize that ‘you’ are witnessing the thoughts occurring in the head and not assume you are thinking them. This distinction is not academic; it is a game changer in your capacity to alter the trajectory of your life direction or any subset of it. In recognizing that you are witnessing the thoughts occurring in your head (i.e., “I can’t lose weight,” “I can’t get traction on my finances,” “I’m too old for…” etc.) and not assume ‘you’ are thinking them, you immediately set up an independence from your programmed thought process! This is significant. This independence is what enables you to successfully disengage from the repetitive, negating, rote thought programs that subvert your life.

My efforts as a Hypnotherapist are not in altering subconscious programming (that’s easily done); it is in getting people to release the attachment to their thoughts! It’s as though they subconsciously are saying, “I own my thoughts of dysfunction and limitation and you or nobody else is going to take them away from me!” People’s issues become very proprietary!

As you set up this independence (you “have” a body and not, you “are” a body) you are able to shift focus from the content of your thought process (which voraciously consumes attention) to the relationship you have with your (programmed) thought process. Instead of attempting to course-correct 56,700 repetitive thoughts largely reflecting, “I can’t,” “I won’t,” “What’s wrong,” etc., you begin to simply, yet profoundly, stop taking yourself (thoughts) so seriously! Remember, as an “independent” agency to your thoughts (from the “have” a body perspective) you have the power of choice; you can choose not to regard pre-programmed thoughts! This is not an attempt to ignore your thoughts (context is everything) but rather, you are choosing to recognize those repetitive thoughts as merely reflecting old programming and nothing more (no matter how convincing they feel). This disengagement begins the process of regaining dominion over your thought focus.

This disengagement process enables the repetitive cycle of thoughts propelled by your attention – validation – of them to subside and allow a greater tendency for “pro-mentum” (as opposed to “momentum” which can be pro or con) to grow and reprogram the subconscious for greater well-being.

The adage to, “not take yourself so seriously” can have profound therapeutic benefits toward your desire to live a life of greater well-being if that admonition is in reference to those repetitive thoughts wrought by programmed conditioning.  In fact, it is the first step to reprogramming the subconscious for pro-mentum so that you fuel thoughts (be they repetitive or not) on behalf of desired intentions and experiences. You are not the thoughts that have happened to you; you are the means by which they are reprogrammed – and you have 56,700 reasons to.