Giving thought to our thoughts

By James Newcomb | July 5, 2022

This has been one heck of a crazy ride these last three years. I’ve been bouncing between Vietnam and Virginia (with a few trips to Minnesota to visit family just to keep things interesting); I’ve built a podcast production business from one client to several (mostly) satisfied clients and the roster continues to grow; I’ve married an Iranian gal and begun – and am fingers crossed close to the end of – the process of obtaining a visa for her to reside in the U.S. Add to that a contentious relationship with the mother of my son who uses a sneeze in her general direction as an excuse to file legal action against me.

It’s been crazy, and I don’t recommend anyone do it. It’s just the circumstances I found myself in.

And to say there are a lot of thoughts going through my head these last few years would be an understatement. Lots of things go through one’s head with all that craziness. I’m sharing a little peek into my own life; I’m sure you can think of craziness in your own life that “stimulate” many thoughts of all varieties.

And it’s interesting how most of the thoughts are negative. Maybe that’s just human nature to assume the worst in a situation, especially when there are unknown variables at play. But it’s the negative situations that define us, not when everything is going well. No one pats themselves on the back for enduring a sunny day with temps in the mid 70’s. It’s the awful weather we endure that makes us grateful for those beautiful days.

Same with our thoughts. Yes, the initial reaction to something may be negative, to assume the worst of a situation. But eventually you become able to separate your thoughts from reality.

Just because you think something is real doesn’t make it real.

I’ve learned to keep things real with my own thoughts. Little sayings like, “Well mind, thanks for being really unhelpful in this situation” reminds me that my perception of reality is just that; my own perception. “Hey mind, I’ll bet you could think of a really bad way for this situation to end, couldn’t you.”

Got to keep things real and in perspective.

Spouse says something out of the ordinary. Are they attacking you, or just having their own mental storm they’re enduring? No good in making things worse by assuming the worst in them.

Difference of opinion with a coworker is just that; two different people viewing a situation in two different ways. Set up a meeting to work it out, and always assume the best in them.

I recently heard mentioned a little booklet I had read years ago called As a Man Thinketh. It was written in 1905, so it’s in the public domain, and I thought why don’t I just record it and make it available to my audience?

It’s all about how our thoughts define us; make or break us. It’s less than an hour in length and you can listen to it on my Learnistic mobile app. Access it at this link: https://jnshub.com/thinketh

Posted in Blog

“I cannot overlook James’ great speaking voice. His tone is clear, articulate, and pleasant to the ear, making it easy for listeners to stay engaged and absorb the content of the interview. His vocal qualities undoubtedly contribute to the success of his podcast.” Laura Davidson – Author of The Logic of Freedom

“I really enjoyed being interviewed by James. He made me feel very comfortable, asked thought provoking questions and his demeanor reveals the passion he has for his work” –Gary Greenfield (Serial entrepreneur)

“James navigated the conversation with ease. It was a delight to delve into the creative process and the hurdles of the performing arts.” –Tamra Grace Jones (Classical vocalist)

“It was lovely chatting with James about the concept of unschooling and self-directed learning. He asks the hard questions that people ask when they hear of “unschooling” for the very first time. It was great to have the chance to delve in deep and unpack this newest alternative form of education.” -Judy Arnall (Child education and development advocate)