Owning Your Thoughts

What do you think?

Lately, I have been thinking of the interconnectedness of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual elements of who we are. For me, physical means the body, the five senses, and the various biological systems at work internally; mental is the way we think and process information; emotional is the range and depth of our feelings; and spiritual refers to our acquired beliefs and values. I have been doing a mini-series of videos on each of these online, but there is a whole book that can be written on all four and how they work together. In truth, there are countless books addressing these elements. This speaks to the importance of us revisiting these often as we seek to find balance and harmony within ourselves.

Neuroscientists have significantly advanced the field of understanding these four components and how they dynamically interact. One area that really speaks to me is the sequence of events that we go through internally when we interact with the world. One model looks like this:

Experience – Thought – Feeling – Behavior – Consequences (ETFBC)        

The four elements are working in connection with one another through the ETFBC process. Physically, we experience an event or a situation. We take in information through our senses. Mentally, we interact with this information through a wide variety of thinking processes. We begin to filter the data through our multiple intelligences and learning styles. These may include linguistic, mathematical, spatial, artistic, kinesthetic, musical, naturalistic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal methods. We may process this information on various levels from seeking basic understanding to deep analysis and evaluation. Each of us processes things mentally with our own unique tool kit that we have developed over time.

Simultaneously, we take the incoming knowledge and go through a comparative process to our beliefs and values. Our brains receive the data, process it, and evaluate it, almost instantaneously. The next product of this is an emotional response. Our feelings can range from very mild to dangerously explosive. Out of this emotional state, we react, sometimes positively, sometimes not. Our behavior then produces consequences that we must live with.

When we look at this sequence from an outside perspective, we see that the critical link in the process is our thoughts. We don’t always have control of the experiences that we encounter. However, how we think about these is on us. We may not be aware of how we are mentally addressing a situation, but we can learn to do so. Through personal study or through professional support, we can learn to recognize our thoughts and respond in beneficial ways. In doing so, we influence the outcomes of our feelings, behaviors, and consequences.

Here is an example of the process. Hiking on a trail, you encounter a snake. This is the experience step. Then, the thought process kicks in. Each of us may have a different experience. For some, the initial thought is threat. Their belief system engages. Maybe they believe that snakes are dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. This leads to an emotional response. Possibly, fear arises within them. Their behavior could be that they scream and run or freeze and wet themselves. Depending on the environment, the consequences could be embarrassing or physically harmful if they fall or twist an ankle as they flee.

If the thought process was different, the results could be affected. For instance, their initial response could be a positive one. They might like snakes. They stop and observe it and enjoy the moment. The consequence might be inconsequential or, conceivably, they might get bit because of lack of caution. In any event, the beginning thinking stage majorly influences the outcome.

So, what’s the point? During this crazy time in our lives, we are experiencing multiple situations daily. We are riding a roller coaster of thoughts and feelings. If we seek to understand the underlying processes that are going on within us, we can find ways to handle the days in more productive and beneficial ways. Using the ETFBC sequence allows us to assess prior events in our lives so that we can make positive changes in the way we live. Knowing that our thoughts are the leverage point in the process gives us control of our lives. We may not be able to change the external conditions around us, but we can change the way we think about them. When we own this idea, we empower ourselves to deal with whatever comes more effectively.