Standing Firm

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. [1 Corinthians 16:13]

Biblical TeachingsPodcast EpisodeYou Are Who God Says You Are

Our Powerful Mind

Cathy

For, who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him? But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ [1 Corinthians 2:16]. 

QUOTE: As you sow in your subconscious mind, so shall you reap in your body and environment (Joseph Murphy).

This week’s main Scripture lets us know that we already have the mind of Christ, that we can think like God thinks, that we can have Stellar Thinking, and believe that WE ARE WHO GOD SAYS WE ARE. However, sometimes it may take some time to develop this belief and understanding.

This week we are going to explore some facts about our amazing brain to understand a bit more about how things work. There are three levels of awareness or three distinct levels of thinking: (1) the unconscious mind, (2) the subconscious mind, and (3) the conscious mind. Below is a chart showing the three sections of our minds.

Please note: information for this content comes from a compilation of many sources, which are listed in the resources at the back of the book.

Conscious Mind Subconscious Mind Unconscious Mind
1st layer of the mind, outer portion

 

 Layer between the conscious mind and unconscious mind The inner layer

 
Limited space There is unlimited space Unknown amount of space
Full awareness Not in complete awareness Associated with dreams, reflection, meditation and sleep
Controls intentional actions Holds our beliefs, attitudes, values, motivations etc. This is what defines us Spontaneous and processes information instantly.
Commands Obeys Automatic
First interface of our mind to the outer world and easily accessible Buried a little bit and not as easily accessible as the conscious mind Makes association and links between many thoughts
Rapidly takes in information Does not have an exact definition Spontaneous, processes information instantly.
Filters out what is needed at the moment Information may not be well organized Capable of multitasking

 
Sends other information to the subconscious mind for later use Holds information by the overflow from the conscious mind Makes body parts move involuntarily.
Awareness, analysis, concentration, and critical thinking resides Emotions, characteristics, attitudes, desires, etc. reside Perceives and feels
We can control this through discipline and training Memories and information are stored in a deeper state Prefers to remain free and works without your knowledge.

The unconscious mind has no awareness or control; it’s a part of the mind where things are automatic. This is where the autonomic nervous system resides, and it controls automatic body functions like breathing, heartbeat, and digestion.

The conscious mind is where our willpower resides: rational and reasoning thinking and intellect. The conscious mind can only process up to seven bits of information at one time.

The subconscious mind is where all our memories, behaviors, and habits reside. This can be considered our “hard drive” and where all data is stored; it’s where all our memories and limiting beliefs are stored. This is the part of our mind that was programmed at a young age. It’s the promoter behind all of our actions, feelings, and emotions. It is the subconscious mind that creates the thoughts that we have. This is also where hidden self-limiting beliefs get stuck.

Our subconscious mind is an unquestioning servant that works day and night to make our behaviors fit into the pattern consistent with our thoughts, hopes, and desires. Our subconscious mind could also be considered the thermostat of our behaviors. It’s the part of our brain that keeps us doing the same things over and over again even though we want different results. It’s also the subconscious mind that keeps people stuck in their comfort zones and unwilling to do things differently.

See the image below to illustrate the different layers of our minds and thoughts. (click on photo for larger image)

 

Throughout this book, there are several exercises to help you reprogram or renew your mind. Here are eight foundations to start with:

  1. AWARENESS OF SUBCONSCIOUS PATTERNS.  Just knowing that things can be stuck and hidden that we aren’t even aware of them is eye-opening! To access and reprogram the thoughts that are NOT serving us, first, we need to be aware that those self-limiting beliefs are stored and how they got there. This awareness of the subconscious mind is a critical first step toward changing our thinking.
  2. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT. Be consciously present and aware of what you are thinking about instead of being the unconscious walking dead. Too many people simply don’t “think”.
  3. BE PRESENT WITH YOUR EMOTIONS. Women are wired with all sorts of emotions. These emotions can serve you well if you listen and respond accordingly. If you are thinking thoughts that bring you peace and comfort; keep thinking those thoughts. But also, be aware of the thoughts that bring you anxiety or discomfort. Be present with those thoughts and think about why they are bringing you negative emotions.
  4. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Just as our emotions are good indicators of when we are thinking the right thoughts or not, so is our body when we listen to it. Depending on your thoughts, do you sometimes get a tummy ache, headache, neck ache, or some other form of pain or discomfort in your body? This could be a signal that the thoughts you are thinking about YOU are not good. Listen to your body.
  5. REPLACE AND REFOCUS. This is the intention and purpose of this book are: (1) to help you replace your negative stinking thoughts with stellar thoughts about yourself (2) to refocus your thinking on what God thinks, and to replace thoughts about yourself that are NOT truth (3) Help you believe that You Are Who God Says You Are!
  6. CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WISELY. Who you choose to surround yourself with will add either good or not-so-good thoughts to your subconscious mind. Be very careful and selective about the people you choose to spend time with and put energy into. Negative people and negative talk will cause negative behavior and negative thoughts within you.
  7. CREATE A PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT. Create a peaceful environment for your mind, soul and body. This includes being mindful of what you watch on TV, what movies you watch, what you listen to on the radio, what type of music you listen to, to keeping TV on in the background for noise. This also includes how much news you watch and how it can negatively affect you, how much time you spend on social media and how you allow this to affect you, what you are searching for online, and what you choose to allow your eyes to see or allow your ears to hear. Be thoughtful and create a peaceful environment for your mind.
  8. PRACTICE AND REPEAT. Practice, practice, and practice. After you have practiced and done ALL the action steps in this book; start over and do them over again and again. Your mind is not simple, and this process is not easy. This is not a one-time activity, but a daily life habit; practice, repeat, practice, repeat, practice, repeat…

POWERFUL MINDS: Be aware, think, be present, listen, replace, refocus, and choose wisely. Believing and THINKING that You Are Who God Says You Are and creating thoughts like God thinks (Stellar Thinking) is a lifetime process.

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DAILY ACTION STEP
Say to yourself out loud
I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM

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FRIENDLY REMINDER: take out your journal and write down your thoughts, takeaways, and progress for this week!

TAKEAWAY GEMS

  • Be aware of our subconscious patterns.
  • Remember to think about what you are thinking about.
  • Be present with your emotions.
  • Listen to your body.
  • Replace and refocus negative thoughts.
  • Choose your friends wisely.
  • Create a peaceful environment for your mind.

QUESTIONS TO “THINK ON”

  1. What are your thoughts about the subconscious mind?
  2. What are three strategies can you put in place to have stellar thinking vs stinking thinking?
  3. What are ways that you can create a peaceful environment for your mind?

ACTION STEP
LIMITING BELIEFS: Write down at least three self-limiting beliefs that may be preventing you from doing what God has called you to do or preventing you from even discovering your God-given vision.

WEEKLY SCRIPTURES

DAY 1: For, who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him? But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ [1 Corinthians 2:16]

DAY 2: All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. [2 Timothy 3:16-17]

DAY 3: So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. [Genesis 1:27]

DAY 4: Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. [Genesis 2:7] 

DAY 5: But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [Hebrews 8:10] 

DAY 6: My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. [Isaiah 55:8-9]

DAY 7: My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart [Proverbs 4:20-21]

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