Thoughts as maps

Ernest Holmes said, "If we make the effort to look at the good in any situation, we shall find it, and having found it, it will increase." Reason enough to aim our thoughts in the direction of what we want. Cognitive behavior therapy is one of the most researched and effective therapies. We can apply its techniques to ourselves. We can notice what our thought patterns are, and then make changes based on those observations. For instance, I can notice that my thought patterns are a repetition of a "to do" list when I am overly busy. Noticing this, I can direct my thoughts more toward peace. If thoughts of a troubling nature return, then the person can just direct the thoughts toward a more peaceful content again. We can control the content of our thoughts. If we don't, it is quite possible our thoughts will be controlling us.