“You don’t have to control your thoughts; you just have to stop letting them control you.”
~ Dan Millman
What a relief this one is! So many of us come into recovery believing we have to police every single thought that pops into our heads. A thought shows up that says “one won’t hurt,” or “you’ll never change,” or “what’s the use,” and we panic because we think having the thought means something is wrong with us. It doesn’t. A thought is just a thought. It is not a command, and it is not the truth just because it showed up!
Here is the good news. We don’t have to stop the thoughts from coming. We just have to stop handing them the car keys! Notice it, call it what it is, and then do the next right thing anyway. Pick up the phone, take a walk, say a prayer, read something positive, or go help somebody. Every time we refuse to obey a negative thought, it gets a little quieter. That is not control; that is freedom!
God gave us a mind and the power to choose what we feed it. Scripture says it beautifully: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8, ESV)
Today I pray, “Lord, help me notice my thoughts, let go of the ones that don’t serve You, and hold on to the ones that do.” Amen…
Which thought will you stop obeying today?
Go, Go, Go…
Dan 🙂
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AI transparency: I used AI to help shape this reflection and reviewed it before posting. Quotes belong to their original authors (Dan Millman; Philippians 4:8, English Standard Version).
Image created with AI assistance.