GIGO - Garbage In; Garbage Out

"The mind grows by what it feeds on." -J.G. Holland

Six years after being "let go" from a very lucrative job I finally ran into "my friend" that stabbed me in the back at work and who arranged my demise. He came up behind me and said, "Hi Susie, I know you must hate me."

I was blown away that those words came out of his mouth. What a telling statement! He just convicted himself with 5 little words. Essentially he was confessing his guilt. The truth was staring us both in the face. He was basically admitting that he screwed me.

I said, "Gee John what would make you think that?" That night I was lying in bed and the phone rang, it was him again. I proceeded to tell him off, I let him know how much he had not only hurt me because we were friends but he took away a career that I spent 8 years building and I asked him how he can wake up every day and look in the mirror and think it's okay to be him!

My heart was pounding, I was tense with anger and it was all imagined in my mind. The first part of the story was true but the phone call was something I was imagining I would say if he had called and even though it wasn't real, my emotions and the level of my anxiety were real as I rehearsed the scenario in my mind.

The truth is that whatever thoughts we choose to dwell on will activate emotions within us that respond to our thinking; regardless if it is real or not. Just like when you watch an action packed movie, your heart may race, you're sitting on the edge of your chair totally engrossed and it's only a movie.

If you are thinking any kind of limiting thoughts of either anger, revenge, jealousy, hurt, fear or worry your emotions will follow your thoughts. That is why it is so important that you feed your mind the kinds of thoughts that will allow you to live with more peace and harmony.

Having imaginary confrontations with someone or going over and over what you could have said or should have said put you in a place of unease. We all do it or have done it but if you learn how to turn off that negative switch in your mind, let go of what is in the past and redirect your thoughts to those that heal you, not hurt you; you will begin to eliminate the stress and negativity that goes along with that kind of thinking.

The computer term GIGO is true for us humans as well. What you put into your mind, the kinds of thoughts you choose to think will directly impact how you experience your life. Garbage in; garbage out.

So, if you are sitting around thinking about anything that makes you feel bad; instead try filling your mind with thoughts that will serve you and help free you from scenarios that will only drag you down.

The past is the past and there isn't one single imagined confrontation you can have that is going to change what is. Let it go, stop conjuring up negative scenes and begin to fill your mind with thoughts that release you from the past so you can enjoy your life today.

GIGO now stands for Good in; Good Out. You are the only one who has a say in what you think so make sure you're doing yourself a favor by choosing to put your "thought life" on a better path.