The power of thoughts

‘If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.’ Peace Pilgrim

Early in the week the above quotation arrived in my inbox from Darren Lacroix. It summarized perfectly using via negativa the underlying belief of many of the writers who have inspired me, especially Joseph Murphy.

     So I wondered who was this incredibly wise person, Peace Pilgrim? I googled and found that Peace Pilgrim was Mildred Norman Ryder who walked across America eight times campaigning for peace. She started as Peace Pilgrim in 1953 from Pasadena, California. She walked with nothing bar the clothes on her back and the few items she carried in the pockets of her blue tunic which read "Peace Pilgrim" on the front and "25,000 Miles on foot for peace" on the back. She relied on charity for food and shelter. She wrote books about her campaigns and the inner peace it brought.

     This brought to mind my friend Bettie-Marie. Bettie-Marie (pictured) walked over 13 days from Belfast in the North-east of Ireland to Wexford in the South-east campaigning for Body-Whys, an organization that works to help those with eating disorders. She took two weeks off from her job as manager of Brandon House Hotel to walk this long walk in a bikini raising money for Body Whys. The power of a thought.

     Bettie-Marie is an immigrant to Ireland and proudly became a citizen this year. She was sufficiently inspired to walk over 200 miles North to South.

     What ideas have you had to do something inspirational? You should do it. Act with speed because the longer you delay the more negative thoughts you will have that will stop you. Beware of negative thoughts. If you feel one coming reverse it as soon as you catch it.  I love this anonymous passage 

Rather than being annoyed, be amused.

Instead of getting angry, become curious.

In place of envy, feel admiration.

In place of worry, take action.

In place of doubt, have faith.

Negative energy is just positive energy

that's flowing in the opposite direction.

There's no need to fight or run away from that

negative energy. All you need to do is change its

direction. The more negative you are, the more

positive you can be. An automobile that can travel

70 miles per hour to the east... can also travel

just as fast when going west. But first, someone

must turn it around.

When you sense yourself becoming negative, stop

and consider what it would mean to apply that

negative energy in the opposite direction. Turn your

sadness into caring. Transform your complaints into

useful suggestions. Change your bitterness into

determination. The energy is already there,

All you need to do is change its direction.- Unknown