As a child, I can remember being asked by my mother, after I did something wrong or foolish, “what possessed you to do that?” Most of the time my answer was, “I don’t know.” Years have passed and I am often left without answers. Perhaps you have been asked regarding a foolish decision, “what were you thinking?” While we may not be consciously aware of the reasons for our actions, modern psychology suggests that the strongest reasons for our behaviors are the unconscious thoughts that precede our actions.1
Road rage may have more to do with the state of mind of the driver prior to getting behind the wheel than it does with the person who cut them off. Those unconscious thoughts playing in the back of the mind may be like a pot simmering, waiting to boil. The painful unconscious tapes of past, painful relationships may serve as an audio and video backdrop to every proceeding relationship, sabotaging any possibility of a healthy, happy relationship. The echoing voice of a controlling, domineering, or abusive parent, spouse, teacher, or boss, may play unconsciously in a repetitive loop in the back of a person’s mind, causing their behavior to seem irrational to one who has no inkling of what is playing in the background from their audio and video archives.
The discipline of recording new soundtracks and making new video memories is imperative if we are going to change our course at any point in our lives. Memorize poems that inspire you, commit to memory scriptures that allow you to see a greater purpose for your life. Learn something new. We have the power to change our thought patterns. We have the power to alter our unconscious thoughts by what we consciously feed our hearts and minds. Write a new song, make a new plan, forge a new path, walk down another street.2
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