Thinking

A popular fable goes something like this: three men were working at a construction site. A passerby stopped the first man and asked what he was doing. The man, tired and worn, simply replied, "I am cutting stone." Another passerby approached the second man with the same question. The response from the man, working, but not without a bit of boredom and discouragement replied, "I am building a building." A third pedestrian asked the the remaining construction worker the same question. The man was working zealously and with passion for his labor, cutting the same stone the other men had been. The man replied, "I am building a cathedral to my God." What was different about the man? He was cutting the same stone, laboring on the same project. His wages were certainly no more than the other two. The weather and environmental conditions were the same. His thoughts, however, were the difference.

Renee Descartes stated, "I think, therefore I am." Our thoughts form the foundations of our words, are the basis for our actions and the molds for our characters. A thought, if repeated often enough, will eventually become a deed. A deed, if repeated, forms a habit, which then plays upon the stages of our fate. We are, therefore, creatures who are and can become, the product of our thoughts. As children of God, we have a divine destiny, an infinite worth and great works to accomplish. We can, in choosing our thoughts and works, either move toward this destiny or away from it. We may embrace the divine or muck in the mire. Our thoughts are heavily influenced by our environment. By creating an environment that is conducive to the thoughts we wish to have, we further our attempts to become the person we wish to be.