We always have a choice about the contents and character of our inner lives.
Epictetus
55 – 135 A. D.
Some time ago, I called a work contact and was put on hold while the assistant checked to see if her boss wanted to talk with me. In business, we call the person who screens calls a gatekeeper. While I was on hold, I got to thinking about gatekeepers. In olden days, all the castles had a gatekeeper. His job was to limit access to the castle. In modern times, the high level executive has a gatekeeper, usually an administrative assistant charged with limiting access to him or her.
We all use gatekeepers in some form. Passwords on our email accounts, PIN numbers on our ATM cards and locks on our doors are all designed to protect our assets.
Consider how very valuable gatekeepers can be. They allow executives to be more efficient; they protect our homes, our bank accounts and other personal information. But one thing that really strikes me is how much effort we take to protect our physical assets, yet we never even think of a gatekeeper for our most valuable asset: our thoughts.
Just stop and think how much better your life would be if you had a gatekeeper for your thoughts: if you had some method of blocking negative thoughts from entering your mind. How much more effective would you be if doubt, worry and fear never crossed your mind? How much better would life be if you never got angry, never felt guilt and never let hate, envy, jealousy or resentment ruin your day? In short, what would life be like if you weren’t traveling with so much baggage?
If you really gave this some serious thought, you would gladly pay any price for such a gatekeeper. You see, we truly are a product of the sum of our thoughts. And all we need to do to drastically improve our lives is to change our thoughts. But we need a gatekeeper to keep all those negative thoughts at bay.
So where do you find a gatekeeper? Like most things in life, it really is quite simple: just decide you want one and you can have it. When you start thinking any negative thought, just call on your inner gatekeeper to block the negative thought. When you feel that surge of anger starting to boil up, call on your gatekeeper. By becoming aware of your thoughts, you will also become aware of your ability to choose which thoughts you keep and which ones you dismiss. You’ll need to work at this skill; it won’t happen automatically. But by bringing your feelings into your conscious awareness and recognizing that you can choose which feelings you respond to, you will be on your way to having your own gatekeeper over the most important thing you have.
Philosophers who studied life came to the conclusion that man has complete and total control over only one thing in life: his thoughts. And from that, man’s circumstances are determined. It’s cause and effect; the thoughts are the cause, the circumstances the effect.
You need a gatekeeper. Start today to rid your mind of all thoughts that aren’t improving your life. Just like the busy executive, you will come to treasure your gatekeeper. The only way to permanently improve the quality of your life is to improve the quality of your thoughts.
Our busy minds are forever jumping to conclusions, manufacturing and interpreting signs that aren’t there. As you think, so you become.
Epictetus
55 – 135 A. D.
Copyright © 2010 John Chancellor