The Magic of Thoughts

This week I finished reading The Secret Garden.

I don't know if I've ever read it before, but I've always 

assumed I knew what it was about - 

a girl discovers a secret garden

(sorry if that's a spoiler, but come on, really, it's the title)

Turns out it was about just that. 

But also so much more. 

It also talks about the power of thought,

 or as the children in the book call it, good magic. 

"At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done - then it is done and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago. One of the new things people began to found out in the last century was that thoughts - just mere thoughts - are as powerful as electric batteries - as good for one as sunlight, or as bad for one as poison."

-  Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden, 

The boy in the story believes he is going to become a hunchback and die because that's all he thinks about, but once he starts thinking more positive thoughts, or "good magic," his whole life changes. 

Our thoughts have so much more power than we even know.

This week I stopped at Walmart on a holiday to do some grocery shopping when I was already tired.

For a highly sensitive person with anxiety, 

that is just not a good combination. 

And as I sat in the parking lot, getting up the courage to go inside, I said to myself, 

"I'm going to die of anxiety in there."

But, stubborn old Emily, did it anyway.

And guess what.

I died of anxiety in there. 

I came home and had to sit in the dark for half an hour 

and then lie on the floor for another hour

to try to calm myself. 

And then I beat myself up for even thinking I could manage the shopping in the first place,

which led to - more negative thoughts. 

When our Heavenly Father gave us agency,

I don't think it was just to choose what to eat or what to wear,

but more importantly to choose our thoughts.

We have the ability to choose good magic, good thoughts, 

thoughts that are peaceful and still.

It doesn't mean the other thoughts won't try to creep in, 

because believe me they will,

but just trying to think good thoughts over and over 

is the most powerful and courageous thing we can do.

"A noble and Godlike character is not a thing of favor or change, 

but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking."

- James Allen

So keep thinking. 

Believe in the good magic.

Believe in yourself.

You never know what you'll discover.

It might even be a secret garden.