Thoughts- Week 1

"Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results."

-Wille Nelson

Thank you, Willie, for those wise words. How we think about ourselves shapes how we live and respond to life’s ups and downs. It may sound simple because it is: if we believe we will fail our next test or challenge, we likely will, even if we prepared for it.

What thoughts guide you each day? Do you focus on what could happen, especially the worst-case scenarios? Unchecked negative thoughts can trigger stress hormones like cortisol, leading to mental exhaustion and even anxiety. Ask yourself whether you spend more time complaining than truly living your life.

This is September’s focus: something we do all day, and for some, well into the night, thinking. Can we change our thought patterns? Yes. This is called neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change how we think. This week, examine your own thought process. Observe your thoughts without judgment; simply notice and learn. The first step to change is self-awareness.