Willpower Works Better than Won'tpower

Dear A. B. Curtiss

I realize that I create all my own thoughts. Yet, often, I still feel trapped by them. My life is good, I have nothing to be genuinely displeased with. But even with all that, I just read an article that says depression is on the rise all around and that it is the 2nd major killer behind heart disease.  And that only 1 in 6 people adequately deal with it. I did not read enough to get all the details. My mind just used that tidbit to scare me and say,”See, it's hopeless, it's an epidemic, everyone is suffering.”

This is not to say I am giving up. I don't want to give up, I just want to relax and get out of this mind trap. Any suggestions? R

Dear R,

To me it is simply not logical to believe that you have no control over your own thinking. However you are not alone in your belief if you do believe that you cannot control your depression with mind exercises. The way out of such a self-defeating belief is to start doing more on-purpose thinking. When you do that, then the accidental, fearful and depressive thinking will take a back seat since the mind always follows the direction of its MOST CURRENT dominant thought. You make any thought dominant by repeating it to yourself over and over.

So, do this: Immediately when you realize you are heading into a downer mood, choose some nonsense rhyme or pre-chosen mantra to concentrate on instead of concentrating on how bad you feel. The more you take control of your thinking, the more confidence you will have in yourself and the more you will FEEL in control of your thinking. Just keep remembering that you are you, you have a mind and the mind does not have a you. Willpower works better than won’tpower.