Are your thoughts fueling action or reactions?
We tend to trust our thoughts. These thoughts are familiar because we experience them over and over again. They feel true. Often, they show up automatically and the patterns don’t really change over time.
But not every thought is a conscious, rational choice. When we feel calm, grounded, and intentionally present, our thoughts can fuel action. When we are operating on autopilot or feeling stressed, our thoughts can fuel automatic reactions, rooted in past experiences rather than the present moment.
Most of us don’t notice the difference. But the difference matters.
When a thought feels like thinking… but isn’t.
- “I need to do more.” or “I shouldn’t have to do it all.”
- “I am right.” or “I am never right.”
- “I’m the best.” or “I’m not good enough.”
These thoughts sound like cognitive assessments — and you can often find facts to support them. But many of these thoughts are simply automatic thought patterns. Much of what we call “thinking” is actually a stress reaction triggered by mental imagery. New medical research in the area of mental imagery is highlighting its role in emotions and mental health, calling for new approaches to resolve distressing and intrusive mental imagery.
You may recognize mental imagery as the images in your head or voices around you, which fuel thoughts, emotions and physical sensations. This is a normal human response and often feels like logic and truth, but it’s frozen energy that operates as efficient survival instincts.
Why it’s important to notice.
Thoughts sound rational. We think of them as a cognitive function of the brain. But what matters is understanding what is triggering the thought and knowing how to discern and shift the automatic patterns that limit our potential and keep us stuck in stress reactions.
You may easily recognize that thinking “I’m not good enough” can be limiting, so you work hard to reframe or replace the thought. Yet if the underlying memory that froze that belief is active and it will continue to trigger stress reactions.
Less obvious are thoughts like “I am right!” or “I am strong.” These thoughts sound empowering, yet they can also freeze a lot of energy in rigid, reactive patterns that wear you down over time.
In both cases, you are operating from automatic, reactive thought patterns.
The work is not about whether the thought is right/wrong or good/bad. The work is about noticing:
“Am I acting… or reacting?”
Reactions can be efficient for routine tasks in everyday life. But it’s important to notice when you need to shift from routine into awareness so that you can work with people who do things differently or live with people with different views.
Awareness changes everything.
A Logosynthesis® perspective: The energy in the thought.
Logosynthesis® guides you to recognize when your thinking is fueled by reactions and when it is fueling meaningful action. By paying attention not only to your thoughts, but also to your emotions and the physical sensations in your body, you can gain information. You can then identify the underlying memory, belief, or fantasy that is triggering the reaction. And then you can shift the energy frozen in that memory or belief.
The beauty of the work is that you’re not trying to change your thoughts. You notice the thought so that the underlying trigger can arise. When that energy shifts and the trigger is neutralized, you become more able to act in the present. You’re no longer frozen in automatic thoughts, and you can better access your natural cognitive abilities.
When the energy shifts, the reactive thought dissolves. What remains is clarity. And this is where action emerges.
The video below offers a guided exercise to experience what can shift. The technique can be used for self-coaching for everyday issues, and guidance with a trained professional can be required for deeper work. You don’t need to understand how and why it works to experience meaningful shifts in your everyday life.
Spot It. Shift It.™: A first step to action.
You don’t need to control your thoughts. Instead, notice which thoughts keep you stuck in stressful or limiting patterns. Awareness is key. Notice the emotions and body sensations that arise with the thought:
- Are you in fight-flight-freeze?
- Do you raise your voice, shut down, or avoid saying what matters?
- Does your body feel calm or tense?
When something bothers you, pause. If someone offers signs that you may be reacting, pause. This is valuable information you can use to calm everyday stress and unlock your potential for what truly matters.
Shifting thought patterns is a healthy lifestyle practice. Just as you don’t go for one run or eat one healthy meal to live a healthy lifestyle, you benefit when you make this practice routine.
When your thoughts originate from presence, you experience a calm, inner knowing. You move through life with less effort and more direction. Your energy becomes free for action instead of being stuck in automatic, reactive thoughts.
You experience the freedom to be you.