How do we catch a thought?

One of Abraham Lowes Tools is " Replace an insecure thought with a secure thought" I think we can look at this in many different ways as you can all the tools you learn -- from Dr. Sarno to whom this site is dedicated to Claire Weekes and on to Abraham Lowe and many many other great teachers of the mind body field. Eckhart Tolle and Marianne Williamson to just name a couple.
I believe its about time we go deeper into their tools and express what each means to us. In this way they go from a great saying to something we can put our knowledge cap around and remember the teachings much easier as we express what each means to us individually.
For me in order to replace an insecure thought with a secure one I need to first catch myself having it through awareness or be aware that I'm having this thought of insecurity. Most often thoughts will be unconscious to us or we won't know where that thought came from and we will most often think their is nothing we can do about an out of control thought so how are we supposed to replace this thought with a secure one? And if we do catch this thought while we're having it then how are we supposed to replace it with something of a better nature?
First I want to say most of us are pretty good " if we're really honest with ourselves" at knowing when we're having negative thoughts. All you have to do is experience a bad feeling or an angry feeling or a feeling of fear and then you will most definitely be having a bad thought -- if you stop at this time and think what am I thinking about? Or what did I ponder earlier that upset me? Or what did I focus on that made me doubt and fear? What did I not believe and now it has caused a thought of fear in my body?
If you can get to a point that you can attach the thought or memory or experience you had to that emotion of fear or whatever emotion it might be, well then you are at least acknowledging that it's there instead of just letting it simmer below the surface of your unconscious mind. See often just knowing that we're having a negative thought will most definitely keep us from repressing it so we can then go ahead and consciously force our thoughts to a better more secure thought.
See at this time that you catch the thought, you have either done it mindfully or using awareness or by being in the now, either way the most important part is you're taking self-control of your subconscious mind, consciously.
See most will tell you that you can't control your subconscious while your conscious of it but that is just not true. As we all know your subconscious controls your breathing, its on automatic right? Now go ahead and think of your breathing for a few seconds and then control your breathing for a minute. See at this time you're controlling a part of your body that is most of the time controlled by your subconscious-- unattended by your thinking.
I mean you don't try to think "well I have to breath today", no, you just do it. So when you take control of your breathing and breath on purpose, well at this time your controlling your own autonomic nervous system consciously. ( and I haven't even gotten to the preferred language of the subconscious yet, your emotions or how to work even deeper with the subconscious, your imagination -- for the subconscious knows no difference between what's real in life and what you are watching on T.V. and the rest of that sentence will be a future post.
See to make my point is most of our thoughts are subconscious to us hence the reason we have to journal and use mindfulness and learn about the inner bully, the self critic and the inner child.
We have to learn about different parts of who we are so we can come into harmony with our higher selves.
Most of us have been on autopilot most of our lives and it takes a long time before we really get serious and start reconditioning our thoughts. So to replace an insecure thought with a secure thought is very important. Get to know what you're insecurities are and why you are having them. Then consciously in self-control change your mind to a better more secure thought.
Yes To replace an insecure thought with a secure one can be done if you put the time in consciously to control an unconscious act that you have been doing by habit for years, controlling your thoughts is possible just as controlling your subconscious is.

P.S - learning subconscious control does have a lot of lessons to learn if you want to get advanced and that's not the purpose of this post, the main thought of this post is you can gain self- control over your thoughts.


P.S - Remember also 5 more tools that Abraham Lowe talked about the next time you want to blow your lid the wrong way instead of going for a walk or doing some deep breathing or laughing at a good movie or meditating.

• Don't take our own dear selves too seriously.
• Feelings should be expressed and temper suppressed.
• Calm begets calm, temper begets temper.
• Helplessness is not hopelessness.
• Some people have a passion for self‐distrust.
• Temper maintains and intensifies symptoms.

Self-control is a most powerful tool when used for the betterment of all.

 

A great post, Herbie. Thoughtful and helpful, as always.

I love the tools for control of thoughts from Abraham Lowe.
They're great daily reminders for calmness.

Self-control is so important... When I start to get angry about something,
I tell myself it's really not all that important and oftentimes, I can laugh it off.