What will your thoughts hold today?

“Your mind will take the shape of what you frequently hold in thought, for the human spirit is colored by such impressions.”

- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.16

I just read that when you practice something in your mind (like olympic swimmers visualize for hours in their mind, the perfect race from the moment that they dive into the water, to each movement until they finish in their desired time), your brain lights up the exact same way as if you are actually physically practicing that action. (Yes, neuroscientists can actually see the activity as it takes place in our brains.)

The book I am reading is on EI (emotional intelligence), and the suggested practice was for the desired leadership skills, whatever they may be. It was therefore suggested that, as a leader, prior to your encounters with others where you know you will need a certain leadership skill you lack, practice it in your mind as if the interaction is taking place and choose the right skills in your visualized correspondence. This will be an actual practice teaching your brain that skill you would like to master, in small steps, and it will help you habitualize it over time.

That is what Marcus Aurelius is saying, too. It involves self control, self management, and self awareness to consciously choose your thoughts.

What will your thoughts hold today?