Are Your Thoughts Becoming a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

A self-fulfilling prophecy reflects what we believe or expect; our actions make that happen.  For example, if you wake up thinking it will be a great day, you will look at the day’s happenings positively.  You may even do things to make it a great day.  You may smile more, be more friendly, or helpful.  The opposite is also true.  Starting the day saying no one likes you sets you looking through that lens.  Your spouse wakes up tired; you think he or she is ignoring you.  Your child doesn’t eat because of an upset stomach; your interpretation is he or she does not like your cooking.  Your supervisor walks by concentrating on an issue; your thoughts are that your supervisor is a jerk and does not like you.

Exploring self-fulfilling prophecy helps to understand how our thoughts and expectations affect how we see and react to the happenings around us.  The account of Peter walking on water displays this concept (Matthew 14:22-33).  Peter is on a boat in the middle of a storm.  He looks out and sees Jesus walking on water coming near the boat.  Most of the men on the ship saw a ghost.  It was a common belief in the first century AD that evil spirits lived in storms.  This is what they believed, and this is what they saw.  Peter, however, saw Jesus walking on water and thought I can do this.  Peter did until he looked around, became frightened, and questioned his ability.  His thoughts changed his outlook. 

Expecting and accepting that you are capable of change, healing, and growth heads you in that direction.  Proverbs 23:7 warns us that as we think, so we are.  Your thoughts are your property and within your control.  Similar to setting boundaries outside yourself, set boundaries within your thoughts.  Listen to what you are thinking.  If your thoughts do not paint the picture you want, dispute your thoughts and redraft them.  “You’re not what you think you are … but what you think … you are!”  is a quote by the psychologist William James,

Our default mode is to follow our thoughts instead of leading our thoughts.  Advertising depends on this.  Our default thought processing happens automatically.  When buying facial tissue, do you look for facial tissue or Kleenex?  What naturally comes to mind?  You can take ownership of your thoughts, avoid negative beliefs, and replace these thoughts with healthy ideas. 

How is our thought process built?  Simple, it is based on our experiences.  The men in the boat were taught that evil spirits lived in storms and thought they saw an evil spirit.  In Minnesota, if asking for a carbonated drink, you ask for pop.  In Texas, you ask for a Coke.  In Virginia, we ask for a soda.  Everyone wants the same drink; they’ve learned different ways to express this desire.  Our mental muscle memory controls our default mode of thinking.  If you grew up being told you can’t do something, that is ingrained in your thought pattern. 

Thoughts lead to feelings.  Feelings lead to behaviors.  So work backward; to change my behavior or life outcomes, I need to change my feelings, and I change my feelings by changing my thoughts.  To change, start at the source.  Understanding the tape playing in your head allows you to reprogram what is playing to healthy, supportive words that point to the life you want. 

Start today acknowledging your default way of thinking and change the harmful, hurtful, or unhealthy thought patterns.  Replacing these thoughts with supportive, optimistic, constructive, and encouraging brainwaves.  Building any type of muscle memory takes practice.  You’ve spent your life creating your mental playlist.  It will take purposeful action to program a new playlist.  You can change your default!

God is doing something new in your life.  Do you believe it?  Expect it?  Are you looking for it?  What are your self-fulfilling prophecies?  As Mark Victor Hanson advises, “The law of self-fulfilling prophecy says that you get what you expect.  So why not create great expectations and the highest vision possible of yourself and your world?” 

Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  Corinthians 10:5

Cheryl Gowin and Dennis Gowin.  Call us with your feedback, comments, issues, or questions; our phone number is 434-808-2637.