Think differently. Think from the heart!

In a given situation, we all don’t think alike. Since childhood, our unique experiences, environments and relationships make us behave differently.

Sometimes, it is quite difficult to interpret our actions and conclude if we are right or wrong. One of my professors had an interesting interpretation that is easy to understand and effective to improve the quality of thought.

We all are wired to think differently. Most of the times we think from our brain and so our decisions are based on some logic. The center of such thinking process is “me”. Logical thinking improves outputs such as power, pleasure, money, strength, growth, satisfaction, family welfare, etc., under given circumstances. We invest our money in schemes that provide highest return, buy stuff when they are on discounts and sell our property in high demand market. 

Some think from their stomach. They are driven by basic necessities such as food. Pretty much like animals. Many are compelled to think this way and never wire their thoughts to their brains. Someone below the poverty line will never negotiate for logic. He grabs what he gets. But let’s put it straight, this has nothing to do with poverty. It’s a mentality and many wired to stomach are above the poverty line! For such people, key milestones of the day are breakfast, lunch & dinner.

Yet a few think from a couple of inches below their stomach. Such people really are short circuited. They are driven by a desire for sex and only sex which is a pure play of animal instinct. Scenes in Hindi films of yesteryears with tiger or eagle hunting its prey depict such an instinct. The Nithari serial murders case involving Surender Koli and very recent incident of rape of two year old child in Mumbai are extreme examples of such animal instincts. It’s again a mentality which is beyond any logic or basic needs.

On the other hand, there are also some who think from their heart. Such people are emotionally intelligent. They do what is good (to others) than what is right! To understand this better, think of Mother Teresa.

None of us are ‘hard wired’. So under different circumstances, we think from our brain, stomach or heart. But for a given situation when we wire incorrectly, it short-circuits.

So it’s all about wiring your thoughts right. How do we accomplish this? All you need to do is to get started.

For a given situation, introspect where your thought is wired – the brain, stomach, a couple of inches below that or the heart.  ‘Go’ ahead if it’s wired to the heart and ‘stop’ if it’s a couple of inches below your stomach. If it’s wired to brain and stomach, don’t act in haste, step out of yourself and rethink if necessary. Be firm and try to do what is good than what is right.