Winning the Thought Battle

If you have read my articles or heard me speak, you know that I always come down to action. We need to act if we are going to be successful!

Yet, our success starts long before our actions. In fact, our success begins in our thoughts.

The process is that thoughts become actions and actions produce results. So the equation starts with the thoughts. So the key to success is to start with and control the thoughts that we have. Good thoughts become good actions become good results.

But there is this predicament we have as humans. It is this "battle" we have with our thoughts. Thoughts of depression, negative thoughts, thoughts of fear etc constantly creep into our minds and cause us to act in certain ways that are going to produce the antithesis of the kind we want that will produce success.

So what can we do to win the battle with thoughts? Here are a few main points. Apply these immediately and then constantly and you will be on your way to winning the thought battle.

Guard your mind. Pretend that behind that forehead of yours is a very precious thing ? your mind ? because it is precious. If you had a storehouse of gold in your house, you would hire an armed guard to stand watch and keep all the bad guys out. Yet, many of us let any old ting come into our minds. We need to keep the bad thoughts, the negative thoughts O-U-T! Now when I say this, I mean both the ones that start in our heads and the ones that come from external sources.

Proactively place good thoughts in your head. Just like a garden, where you weed, or pull the bad stuff out, and plant, put the good stuff in, so we do the same thing with our thoughts. Buy tapes and music that will produce good, happy thoughts in your head! Watch TV programs and videos that put good thoughts in your head!

Avoid the naysayers. They are all around you. You work with them, you live near them ? some are even in your family! Whatever you do, do not let them affect you with their negative thoughts. Spend as little time as you can with them (unless it is your spouse or kids ? then you need counseling!)

Act on the positive thoughts that you do have. When a positive thought comes into your head, act on it! This will begin to produce a "bridge" between what you think and how you act! This will then make that transition even easier as time goes by!

Four key ideas to win the thought battle: Guard your mind. Proactively place good thoughts in your head. Avoid the naysayers. Act on the positive thoughts that you do have.

Go forth and Win the Battle!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.

To see Chris "live" at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on the subject of Secrets of Influence go to http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich makes a statement Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 in Chicago, after he was impeached by the Illinois House on a wide array of offenses including criminal corruption and wasting taxpayers money. The two term Democrat becomes the first governor in the history of Illinois to be impeached. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)AP - Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached Friday by Illinois lawmakers furious that he turned state government into a "freak show," setting the stage for an unprecedented trial in the state Senate that could get him thrown out of office.



President-elect Barack Obama stands with CIA Director-designate Leon Panetta as he answers questions during a news conference in Washington,  Friday, Jan. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - Facing unwelcome resistance from fellow Democrats, President-elect Barack Obama is encouraging critics of his $800 billion economic recovery plan to "just show me" their own ideas. With more than 11 million Americans out of work, Obama pressed Congress for urgent action Friday and said the U.S. is undergoing "a devastating economic crisis that will become more difficult to contain with time."



An Israeli border police officer in the West Bank city of Hebron, throws a stun grenade during minor clashes with Palestinians following a protest against Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip, Friday Jan. 9, 2009. Israeli jets and helicopters bombarded Gaza Friday and Hamas responded with a barrage of rockets on two cities as both sides defied a U.N. call for an immediate cease-fire. (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)AP - Israeli jets and ground troops hammered at Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and Islamic militants fired barrages of rockets at southern Israeli cities Friday, ignoring a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire after two weeks of combat.



In this July 28, 2008 file photo, Marian Robinson, the mother-in-law of then Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., listens as her daughter Michelle speaks at a Women for Obama luncheon in Chicago.  Robinson is moving into the White House at least temporarily to join Michelle Obama and the two children, transition officials said Friday. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)AP - Get ready for the in-law in chief. President-elect Barack Obama's mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, is moving into the White House at least temporarily to join Michelle Obama and the two children, transition officials said Friday. That's good news not just for late-night comics, but for 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha. During the campaign, Robinson retired from her job as a bank executive secretary to help care for her granddaughters.



In this Nov. 4, 2008 file photo, Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, is seen on stage during an election night rally in Phoenix.  In an interview with conservative radio talk-show host and filmmaker John Ziegler, Palin questioned whether Caroline Kennedy was getting better treatment than Palin did as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)AP - She messed up her first interviews, didn't show much of a grasp of the issues and, dontcha know, had a speech pattern that was widely mimicked.



Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas is shown in this undated handout file photo released Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 in Huntsville, Texas. Thomas, who has a history of mental problems is being treated at a prison psychiatric unit after authorities said he pulled out his only good eye and ate it.  He similarly had plucked out his right eye before his trial in 2004. (AP Photo/Texas Department of Criminal Justice, FILE)AP - A Texas death row inmate with a history of mental problems pulled out his only good eye and told authorities he ate it. Andre Thomas, 25, was arrested for the fatal stabbings of his estranged wife, their young son and her 13-month-old daughter in March 2004. Their hearts also had been ripped out. He was convicted and condemned for the infant's death.



This photo released by Dr. David McDonald of Friendswood, Texas, shows a pine flycatcher bird he photographed on Jan. 4, 2009 in Choke Canyon State Park, Texas. (AP Photo/David McDonald)AP - Birders with binoculars and cameras are flocking to a remote state park in search of a small yellow-chested bird that apparently crossed the U.S. border for the first time from its high-mountain habitat to the south.



In these 2008 file photos, actress Jennifer Carpenter, left, arrives at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, and actor Michael C. Hall arrives at the CBS, CW and Showtime Press Tour Party in Los Angeles. Hall's spokesman, Craig Bankey, said Friday, Jan. 9, 2009, that the couple eloped in California on New Year's Eve. They'll walk the red carpet together at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, the first time publicly acknowledging their relationship. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)AP - They play brother and sister on "Dexter." Now in real life, Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter are husband and wife. Hall's spokesman, Craig Bankey, said on Friday that the couple eloped in California on New Year's Eve. They'll walk the red carpet together at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday — the first time publicly acknowledging their relationship.



In this booking mug shot released by Stow (Ohio) Police Department, Feliks Goldshtein is shown, Thursday, Jan.8, 2009. A  bank robber  may have tipped his intentions when he stood in line at an Ohio bank wearing a ski mask before staging a holdup. Police say a teller asked the man, identified by police as Goldshtein, to take off the ski mask he was wearing iff before being served. At that point the man displayed what turned out to be a toy gun and told the teller to give him all the money.(AP Photo/Stow Police Department)AP - A man may have tipped his intentions when he stood in line at an Ohio bank wearing a ski mask before staging a holdup. Police in Stow near Akron said 24-year-old Feliks Goldshtein of Highland Heights was arrested minutes later on Thursday following a brief car chase.



AP - Baseball authorized nearly 8 percent of its players to use drugs for ADHD last season, which allowed them to take otherwise banned stimulants. A total of 106 exemptions for banned drugs were given to major leaguers claiming attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from the end of the 2007 season until the end of the 2008 season, according to a report released Friday by the sport's independent drug-testing administrator.

Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin participates in a panel discussion about Poverty Alleviation at the Clinton Global Initiative, in New York, September 20, 2006. (Chip East/Reuters)Reuters - Citigroup Inc is in advanced talks to sell its Smith Barney brokerage unit to Morgan Stanley, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, in a move that would further dismantle the financial supermarket that has been bailed out by the U.S. government.



Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich speaks during a news conference in Chicago, Illinois January 9, 2009, as he points to Illinois residents that he clamed have been helped by the issues that are now being used as the Illinois House voted to impeachment him. (Stephen J. Carrera/Reuters)Reuters - The Illinois House of Representatives impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday for abuse of power, including a charge that he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.



A Palestinian woman sits beside her destroyed house after an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip January 9, 2009. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)Reuters - Israel rejected a U.N. resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Friday and warplanes and tanks pounded the Palestinian enclave.



House Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. Barney Frank speaks at the Office of Thrift Supervision National Housing Forum in Washington, December 8, 2008. (Jim Young/Reuters)Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama and a key Democratic lawmaker revealed plans on Friday to overhaul the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund as a way to aid struggling homeowners and speed the flow of credit.



Employers slashed payrolls by 524,000 in December, driving the unemployment rate to its highest level in almost 16 years, a government report showed on Friday, suggesting that the year-long recession was deepening. (Graphic/Reuters)Reuters - The unemployment rate surged to the highest in nearly 16 years last month as a deepening year-long recession forced companies to axe more than half a million jobs, government data showed on Friday.



Voters fill their ballots during the U.S. presidential election in West Hollywood, California November 4, 2008. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Friday it would consider a challenge to a central provision of the 44-year-old voting rights law aimed at preventing states and local governments from making it harder for minorities to vote.



A foreclosed home is seen in Stockton, California in this May 13, 2008 file photo. A top bank industry group said on Friday that it opposes an agreement between financial giant Citigroup Inc  (Robert Galbraith/Files/Reuters)Reuters - A top bank industry group said on Friday that it opposes an agreement between Citigroup Inc and Democratic senators that would rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, saying it could make home loans more expensive.



A man works near a pressure gauge at a district heating plant in Skopje January 8, 2009. (Ognen Teofilovski/Reuters)Reuters - The European Union sought to finalize details on Friday of a gas monitoring deal to allow the resumption of gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, which have been cut off for days over a pricing row.



A relative of Palestinian journalist Ihab al-Wihedi and his wife mourns prior to their funeral in Gaza City. Tanks and warplanes pounded Gaza on Friday after Israel defied a truce order from the UN Security Council as the death toll from the two-week-old conflict against Hamas passed 800.(AFP/Mahmud Hams)AFP - Tanks and warplanes pounded Gaza on Friday after Israel defied a truce order from the UN Security Council as the death toll from the two-week-old conflict against Hamas passed 800.



This US Navy photo shows the MV Sirius Star as it is observed at anchor by the US Navy. Somali pirates said Friday they had freed a Saudi-owned supertanker, whose capture nearly two months ago caused panic in international shipping and spurred the world into tougher anti-piracy action.(AFP/NVNS/David B. Hudson)AFP - Somali pirates said Friday they had freed a Saudi-owned supertanker, whose capture nearly two months ago caused panic in international shipping and spurred the world into tougher anti-piracy action.




Happy Ending

I'm writing to you with a completely shattered heart. I've known my... Read More

7 Perks to Living a Life on Purpose

1. We all have a purpose in this life time.The Mystics say... Read More

A Resurrection Story

My mother often wound up in the hospital during the last decade... Read More

Important Things to Know / Remember About Life

I love you not because who you are, but because who... Read More

Giving Can Overcome Language Differences

I recently had to take a trip to Germany. It has been... Read More

Personal Fear of Change and How to Change It!

It's interesting how we intellectually know that tomorrow will be different from... Read More

False Start

Direct Answers - Column for the week of July 7, 2003.I was... Read More

Lesson Learned

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 9, 2002I was... Read More

Save the Planet with Your Joy!

Your own level of frequency raises or lowers the overall frequency of... Read More

Money or Faith?

I've been to 64-countries, and yes money comes in handy, and goes... Read More

Stop Trying to be Perfect

In the moment of completing a thought or action, it becomes "perfect,"... Read More

A Path To Peace

The root of discord and violence between people and nations comes from... Read More

Moneys Sad Lack of Intrinsic Value

A good number of my columns deal with finances and money-related issues.... Read More

Navigating The Squeeze

Today more than ever before, we are witnessing a crises of consciousness... Read More

Ignorance and Fantasy

Are beliefs not often the children of ignorance and fantasy? Consider the... Read More

The Power of Inner SELF

I am sharing one of the great insights.The fear that we have... Read More

Your Turn On The Holodeck

Good morning Roy, good morning Joseth.Roy? You have in your world's history... Read More

You Reap What You Sow

There is an old principle: You reap what you sow. In fact,... Read More

7 Keys for Joyful Living!

Here are some thoughts for finding and experiencing joy in your life.... Read More

Today is Yesterdays Tomorrow

The problem with waiting until tomorrow is that when it finally arrives,... Read More

Making Commitments of Love and Courage

There is a story about a little girl who suffered from a... Read More

Generosity Is The Seed Of Wealth

Generosity, which includes the free, no strings-attached sharing of resources, money, and... Read More

Favorite Quotations... What Do They Say About Us?

Have you stopped to think what your favorite quotes are saying about... Read More

Stand Up!

One of the most undervalued blessings is God's will to make every... Read More

Everybody is Somebody

I wrote about my life and all that I have had to... Read More

By Now, Im an Expert at Memory Loss

I sat down to write my weekly humor column, but I just... Read More

Duplicity

Direct Answers - Column for the week of January 26, 2004We've been... Read More

Arranging Stepping-Stones

The greatest achievements were obtained by those who took one step after... Read More

Borne Upon the Wings of Words

How often do you have opportunities every day to exercise your power... Read More

As A Caterpillar

"Happiness can be as elusive as a fluttering butterlfy but as easily... Read More

What Legacy Are We Leaving Our Children?

Children can seem exhausting, annoying, wonderful, loud and funny all at the... Read More

America, A Depository Of The Gifts Of The World

Wow, it's a new year and a new millennium! What a privilege... Read More

Cool Children

It's funny how an acquaintance from the past just pops into your... Read More

Lisas Christmas

Lisa was born into a loving Christian family and went through life... Read More

War, Disasters and All is Well

It is not very often that I have an issue with writing... Read More

For Old Times Sake

Direct Answers - Column for the week of August 19, 2002I am... Read More

Keep Hope Alive

"Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And... Read More

Believe In Yourself

Diana is a wonderful person with a great personality and a lot... Read More

Go Where No Man Or Woman Has Gone Before

"It`s life Jim but not as we know it." -SpockIn Corrogue there... Read More

Universal Thought Systems Language Part 2

Before we are able to use the Universal Thought System in a... Read More

Anchors Away!

If we want to fill our heads with the doom and gloom... Read More

Addicted To Her

Direct Answers - Column for the week of August 4, 2003I dated... Read More

How to Use the Ebb and Flow of Life to Your Advantage

Are you overwhelmed with so many activities you don't know where to... Read More

Letting Go Of Perfection

"The power of discovery enables us to achieve excellence without having to... Read More

Night of the Living Dead

For many people, life has become as dull and despairing as death.... Read More

Dream Lover

Direct Answers - Column for the week of September 1, 2003I met... Read More

Go Between

Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 16, 2003I enjoy... Read More