The way we think

Chapter 207

‘How you think is how you feel, how you feel is how you act, and how you act is what defines you.” Porter Moser

The chicken or egg? Which came first? It seems like the quote above could be one of those nonsensical hypothesis like the chicken or the egg, but it is not. Like many times in life when you need or want to analyze something, start with the end and work yourself backwards. I do this with clients a lot, we will decide some goal or target 5 to 10 years in the future and work our way back to the present step by step. Moser gave us the steps this time.

How you act is what defines you? True. In the end, 99% of the time, our actions are what define us to everyone in the world, and likely, to God as well. No one really cares what you feel or what you think or what your intentions were, they only care, and only judge, and only assess, your actions. Same was true with your parents judging you as you were growing up, and the same is true now that you are a grandparent and are as old as dirt. Everyone is standing in judgement of your actions. And you are standing in judgement of theirs. And frankly, that is perfectly ok most of the time, its a very accurate barometer of that is going on inside of you as well.

Because we all mostly act how we feel. True. If we are feeling pissy then we act pissy. If we are feeling angry, then we act angry. If we are feeling peaceful then we act peaceful. If we are feeling generous then we act generous. Tell me it ain’t so? It takes 1000 times more effort to act in a manner that conflicts with our feelings. Oh it can be done and we all have done so in heroic moments, but for the most part, we are just emotional rollercoaster and emotional action figures.

Because how we feel is how we are thinking. True. And here is the critical piece for us all today. 

Change the way you think.