Why aren't people as happy, or successful, or as spiritual as they want to be? Do you struggle with low self-esteem, or not being where you want to be in life? I know I do. But recently I read an article in a newspaper* that helped me to see where I was going wrong. And the problem wasn't with me as a person; it was simply with my thinking.

One thing this article pointed out for me is the connection between "sloppy thinking" and "causal conclusions." What this means is simple: we link a cause with an effect 100% of the time. For example, if I make a commitment to a personal growth program, either reading a particular book every day, or praying daily, or avoiding negative thoughts or critical comments, I may do really well for several days. If my problem is criticizing the behavior of a co-worker, and I commit to stop this behavior, three or four days may go by without any criticism. But suddenly, on the fifth day, and the sixth, and the seventh, I find myself criticizing this person and being negative. What usually happens then is I get upset with myself and say something like, "I'm never going to change." Thus, we see ourselves in a cycle that we can't get out of.

This newspaper article taught me that we can think differently, though, and can rise above this simply by changing and adapting the way we think. We need to introduce an element of logic into our thinking. We do this by asking three questions: 1) What do I think I know about this issue?; 2) What information am I relying on?; and 3) Do I have any inconsistent data? (This last question may be the most important of all.)

To use our earlier example, I can see for the first question that in particular circumstances with a particular person I get negative and critical of their speech and/or behavior. The information I am relying on is personal experience, and perhaps the observations of others. And yet, when I think about question three, I do see inconsistent data: I'm not critical of that person in every circumstance, and, in fact, I went several days without criticizing that person in any way.

Using logic to help me think through this problem, then, allows me to see the truth: while I may be overly critical at times (and certainly need to work on it) I am not always critical. (And just because you criticize as a bad habit doesn't make you a bad person.)

Try this way of thinking of some of your challenges and see where it helps you!

Notes
*Michael Metzger, "Use Sound Logic To Make Smart Decisions" [Real Solutions], Investor's Business Daily, Monday, December 12, 2005, A11.