Posts Tagged ‘thoughts’

How to Increase Your Good Desires

September 16th, 2011

There’s a story that I’ve heard in multiple therapy sessions and groups where a Native American grandfather is talking to his grandson. He tells him of two wolves that exist within each of us, a white one and a black one. The white one is the good desires we have and the black one is the negative and selfish desires we have. They are battling, he said inside of each one of us. Naturally the boy wishes to know the outcome and asks the sage, “which one wins grandfather?”

I’m not sure why I never connected the moral of this story to what I just learned this week about how to increase my good and wholesome desires, including my desire for healing and recovery. I have been learning over the past month just how important desires are and how they are at the beginning of everything we do. “If that’s the case,” I thought, “how do we get ‘em?!”

With that clear question in my head and a desire to know the answer I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when I rad across the answer to my question in a book entitled Drawing on the Powers of Heaven by Grant Von Harrison. He said that our desires come as a direct result of our thoughts and attitudes.

“Wow! Really?” I was amazed. I knew that I could choose to think about good things, it has been happening quite naturally each morning for the last 2 weeks as I’ve woken up, thought of 10 or more things I’m grateful for and then dove into my scriptures with the goal of finding what my God wishes me to know about Honesty.

Something clicked when I read that. I saw that the things I have been counseled to do for years are actually powerful tools I already possess to mold and shape my desires. I am glad to now understand the moral to the native american tale. I now ”get” the grandfather’s reply to the boy’s curious question, ”which wolf wins?”

“The one you feed.”

Watch & Pray Always That Ye Enter Not Into Temptation

April 8th, 2010

“Watch and pray,” Jesus said, “that ye enter not into temptation.” (Matt. 26:41.)

I have felt time and again that one of things that leads me into temptation is not being focused. Sometimes when I sleep in I feel groggy upon waking. In this morning haze I often let my mind wander where it wants. If I’ve had a dream that’s sexual in nature my mind can be drawn to that in its foggy state. Not so good.

I’ve grown up learning about morning and evening prayers. In the case I described above, morning prayers are definitely a start to me gaining focus in my morning.

I learned a while ago just how powerful it is to “pray always.” Now of course that doesn’t mean that I’m on my knees all day long, but it DOES mean that I watch all day and pay attention to where my eyes are going, what I’m thinking, what feelings I’m having and what I’m saying and doing…which are an outcome of the first three.

At first it was really hard for me to recognize when I was in a state ripe for indulging. I had just acted so many times on the thoughts & urges that the window of awareness was small, but it’s getting easier. After many prayers and some practice it is becoming easier.

Sometimes it’s hard for me to remained focused on any given plan of attack. I think at times I make it too difficult, too many steps. So, I’m going to recommit myself again and try a simpler plan…3 weeks is the ultimate goal, but I haven’t gone 1 week in a while without giving in to some temptation or another, so I’ll start there.

The things I’m going to do daily

  1. Spirit:
    1. Study the Word
    2. Prayer
  2. Mind:
    1. Practice Face it. Replace it. Connect.
    2. Journaling
  3. Body
    1. Exercise
    2. Good Sleep
  4. Others
    1. Serve
    2. Work

Now that I write it out, it again seems like too much…is it? Eh, I’ll give er a shot. These are all very powerful things in my life. I’m also going to track how well I keep my eyes focused on good things, my thoughts on truth, my hands where they should be :) , and my actions in check.

Related Blogs

    Pornography has Real Consequences

    November 17th, 2009

    I picked up a book several weeks ago that I should have left alone, but it gave a definition of pornography that I found particularly cavalier and destructive. The definition was something to the effect that porn was anything that people wanted to suppress and hide about the human body. The attitude was one of discrediting anyone that thought nudity and sexuality shouldn’t be openly embraced. The message was clearly one justifying such a stance.

    Over time I’ve learned that many have been fooled into believing that there’s no such thing as right and wrong. It’s interesting how these words can call like sirens. They flatter the unaware listener and say there’s no devil, that there’s no God and that man is free to do what he wants without consequence.

    Well, how unattractive would the Hollywood blockbuster be that actually showed the long-term consequences of an all night kegger or the loss of ability of one to connect really with others as they squander their efforts with one-night stands?

    Despite the effort of many to disassociate natural consequences from action we will one day have to account for our actions. Facing the music shouldn’t be our sole motivation for seeking out and living according to truth, but it’s a reminder ever now and then to not heed the smooth lies that abound all around us.

    Truth: There are natural outcomes to all actions, thoughts, attitudes and feelings. The closer I look the better I can see what leads to what. I will be patient with myself as I watch and pray always that I am not led into temptation.

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