Word of the Year: Purity

I feel that the purer the thought, the purer the life.

This may sound boring, but once someone lives through plenty of drama, heartache, and destruction, one may consider purity desirable.

I get that all ups and downs are a “part of life” but I feel that to what level… is largely up to us. And I feel that what we participate in, naturally affects our thoughts, and ultimately affects what goes on around us.

This isn’t a: violent video games creates a violent child speech

But, I am abfirm believer that the seemingly “normal” things that happen during the course of a day, like: sudden illness, outbursts of anger, poor reactions to situations, and so on, may be a direct result of thought. At least to some level.

And no, I haven’t been watching Drew Barrymore’s Firestarter on repeat, but I have been practicing this myself at some level over the years, and have seen positive results. Perhaps it is as some may say, coincidence, but I feel happier and healthier when I am conscious of more pure thoughts.

How About a Challenge?

I am big on 30-day, or 1-week, or whatever length… challenges. This helps people realize how ingrained a behaviour is, helps them pay closer attention to the activity and the results, and ultimately can encourage positive changes.

Consider the following challenges for yourself for this year:

Stop watching TV I think overall, TV-watching is an extremely unhealthy habit, and not watching for a month feels like an easy task to me. However, I get that TV watching is a big deal for many people. So, perhaps consider a deviation of this challenge if it seems too drastic for you. Maybe drop the late night news for a month. Maybe stop late night trash TV. How about just being conscious of how much TV you *actually* watch, and drop it to 1, 2, or 3 hours per day. Or better, what about replacing all programs with more wholesome TV. Programs like: The Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, and Anne of Green Gables feel like appropriate choices for the whole family. They can give everyone an entirely different way of thinking. Little House is on every weekday at 4:00 Eastern in Canada on Cogeco 19, with The Waltons right after for those interested.

Spend more time doing nothing A lot of people avoid this I think because idle time means lots of undesirable thoughts. But, just pausing life, even for 10 minutes, feels very valuable for a plethora of reasons. And I feel that overall, we control our own thinking. If thought goes in a direction that doesn’t feel “pure”, or at least desirable, then push that thought a way. Visualize the removal of that thought, and deliberately choose a better feeling thought. Be careful with this practice though. Sometimes, “better feeling” means indulging in destructive fantasy. Well, I’m not the first to say this, and it’s what I have been suggesting all along… your thoughts affect your reality in one way or another. Focus on thoughts that you would like to exist in *real life* and see how your life transforms. It’s worth a shot no?

Read more What about picking up the habit of reading something for an hour a day? It doesn’t have to be something that helps you perfect your craft, although it can be. Choose wisely though. Just like TV, and even the people that you surround yourself with, what you choose to read has a direct affect on your thoughts. Which… as many believe… has a direct affect on your reality.

Think more purely!

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Naturally, these are just my opinions, and what I feel has been beneficial in my life. I am no “expert” on the topic. I just enjoy the benefits of this in my own life, and it has been adopted as the path I chose to take, to put some of the major challenges that I am facing today, in my past.

If you aren’t much of a believer on the topic of thought patterns being important to everyday life, and having the potential to affect your relationships with others and yourself, consider listening to any of these audio books on the topic. Some of what is said may change your thinking, or reinforce your belief.

You can get an audio book free from Amazon’s Audible if you are a new member. You do need to provide your CC details, but you can cancel by next month if you don’t want to participate in the monthly audio book subscription. I do get a bounty from Amazon, if you use the link above, for introducing a new customer to them. But I wholeheartedly believe in the subject, it’s not just a referral in order to receive a commission.

Word of the Year: Purity