Did you know that thinking is an action? Ponder that for a moment - thinking is an action. The mind is the place where the thinking occurs!

I’m guessing that you rarely consider the act of thinking. It’s just something that happens as you go about your everyday life.

With our busy lives, not many of us take the time to just sit and think. Our hectic lives result in thinking being more instinctive and rarely planned.

You may find it hard to believe, but prior to saying good morning to a co-worker, the thought of those words existed in your mind. Even before the words were spoken.

In addition, without thinking, we cannot move our bodies. For instance, think about the process of lifting your hand.

No, just don’t think about it - go ahead and lift your hand. Do you know what’s happening?

Well, it’s a complicated process where the muscle contracts causing the motion of the hand.

An impulse from the nerve causes the contraction of the muscle.

An action in the brain sends the impulse along the nerve.

The brain, nerve and muscle work together like the parts of a machine. The machine that is our body would have no action without the power of the mind.

What about willpower? Can we affect change in our life by using our willpower?

You can try to will your hand to lift up as much as you like. However, unless the mind thinks something entirely different from the thought of willing, the hand remains stationary.

Have you ever gone on a diet? Willpower alone probably did not help you lose the weight; you had to change your thinking about food and exercise.

Bodily action is the result of mental action.

What does all this have to do with positive thinking? Be patient, we’re getting to that.

From time to time, we aren’t in control of our mind. Forces in the external world cause the mind to act.

What if a child darted out in front of your car? Scary thought. I’m sure you would instinctively slam on your brakes.

Had your mind not sprung into action, you would have run into the child.

There would be no bodily action - the slamming of the brakes without the action of the mind.

Although many external events influence the mind, the mind is the power behind all else in moving the body. Without the mind, there would be no motion.

We can prove this profound statement by thinking about when there is no mind, as in death. The body cannot move. The nerves, muscles, tendons, and bones are parts of the machine, which the mind uses.

On their own, any parts of the machine (our body) are as powerless as a crowbar when a person does not grasp it.

Why stress the mind / body connection? Well, if thinking has so much impact on what we do, then it is important to think the right thoughts.

Think about your own life for a moment. Do you feel energized and ready to take on the world when your mind is filled with negativity?

Do you feel productive and satisfied?

I’m guessing you answered NO.

The simple truth is that positive thoughts will get you far better results than negative thoughts. Positive thinkers discover constructive results in all aspects of their lives, business, relationships, and personal satisfaction.

If you employ the power of positive thinking, you will likely conjure up pleasant feelings and productive images.

These constructive feelings and images will affect your body. You may exude more energy and happiness, all having a positive impact in your everyday life.

Remember, the combination of brain, nerves, muscles, ligaments, bones - these make up a wonderful machine that the mind builds and uses. You need to ensure your mind is filled with positive thoughts to benefit from the power of positive thinking.

That’s all for Part #1. I hope you have enjoyed learning that that thinking has a huge impact on our bodies so it very important to think the right thoughts. Thinking the right thoughts, positive thoughts has far-reaching impacts in all areas of our life (we’ll learn more about these impacts as our journey proceeds).

In Part #2, we are going to learn about emotions and how they affect our well-being. A few things might surprise you.