We all know the critical importance of nutrition. We are what we eat. Everything I put in my mouth eventually becomes me. Or isn’t becoming to me at all, as the case may be. (I would just tape it on my thighs to save time, but I would lose out on all the fun.) Normally, I am quite careful about my food budget, which includes an allowance for the occasional splurge. But after Thanksgiving? “I am what I eat” can be quite disconcerting. I try to rationalize. If I am my pumpkin pie, then my shape is round, and I have work to do. If I am what I eat, what if I were to munch on a skinny person?  Is a balanced diet a pie in both hands? I know as well as anyone the logic fails.

All joking aside, and aside from genetics, no one is forcing me to eat too much. I alone am in charge of what goes into my mouth, and the resulting health, or lack thereof.  To be frank, if I am not in control of my person, let’s just say all other problems are secondary.

It is easy to see the direct correlation between health and food. But have you ever thought about what happens when we indulge in unhealthy thoughts? The physical mantra is important, yes. But more important still, we are what we THINK. Thoughts have the power to shape our reality. Our thoughts form our choices, and our choices form our behavior. Our behavior forms the very fabric of our lives. Our visible behavior then is like the tip of an iceberg. If you are in a rut, you can almost guarantee it started when your thoughts fell into the ditch.

We are in charge of what we feed our minds. We may not be able to control every thought that comes into our mind, but we have a choice whether to dwell upon them or to exchange junk food thinking for a healthier alternative. You have the freedom to choose the thought or dismiss it. Think about it this way: just because an unwelcome person knocks on your door, does not mean you have to let them in.

All this month we are focusing on the power of words to shape and harness our thinking to make it serve us better. Words can pull us out of a rut, soothe a wound, or serve as anchors to pull our helium balloon thoughts back into tether. They can sweeten stinkin’ thinkin’, launch a new idea, or completely transform our journey.

Quotes are a great tool to bring clarity and focus to our thinking–and especially short quotes because they are easier to recall. What quotes have anchored your journey? Can you share them with us? Sometimes the very quote that has inspired you can also give strength to the person sitting next to you.

From now till mid-December, you are invited to share your favorite quotation on our FaceBook page in our iCan Quote Contest. Quotes chosen by popular vote will be designed into custom art. By posting your favorite quote, you will be in the running to win two subscriptions to iCan, one for yourself and one to encourage a friend.  Please see complete details here. – See more at our Facebook Page here: Official Contest Rules

Trade in your mental junk food for a healthy alternative.

That’s this week’s Imagination Hat!

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7