Must You Choose a Positive Thought Over a Stressful Thought?

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” ~William James

With the purest of intentions, American Philosopher and Psychologist, William James, pointed out that we can effectively reduce the impact of stressful thoughts by focusing on positive and constructive thoughts.

However, a constructive thought need not always pop up when most expected. What needs to be addressed is what the person is going through. At the same time, making the effort to build positive and constructive thoughts is a necessity. In this quote, I see a word that stands out. ‘Choose’ – we are given the freedom to choose.

How many times will you choose a different thought over the other?

Consider your thoughts as waves. One wave comes and goes, another comes and goes, and the process continues. Which wave will you choose over the other and how many times do you intend to do this? Is this a process that you must go about your entire life? How exhausting! Will it become a habit? Probably!

Yes, some people are deeply ingrained in the sorrows of life that one has to help them practice positive affirmations as a reminder of self-belief. However, enhancing the Spiritual Quotient (SiQ) is not about choosing one thought over the other. It is about gaining the ground of neutrality so that come what may, the individual can manage their thoughts.

One can transcend the pain and the sorrow and the stress and so on. With a high SiQ, there is no need to put in your time, energy, and effort to choose one thought over another. You are perfectly complete wherever you are not feeling incomplete in any way.

The Ocean and its Waves are the Water

Consider yourself the embodiment of water. You are the ocean and you are the waves. You use the undercurrents (your energy) to generate waves and the ocean exists because of you. Now, think of the waves as your thoughts. They come and go. Another wave comes and maybe even a bigger one.

Waves of different sizes appear before you. But if you are the wave then are you the one causing a bigger and a smaller wave as you wish? 

Yes, you are! Are you capable of such heights? Indeed.

Therefore, you are the existence which means that you can control the formation of waves (thoughts), their frequency, their size, their intensity, and their disappearance. 

Remember that a high SiQ will bring you to the point of understanding what is necessary and what is not while it allows you to gain the ground of neutrality, and transcend sorrow.