The Power of Deep Thought

We often react more quickly than a thought’s ink can dry on a brain cell. When in danger, yes, act quickly. That’s what instinct does to help us stay safe. But when you are making major decisions, taking your time to know how you are where you are, and moving in the best direction possible, then the tortoise pace is best.

Too much of our thought process is shallow. What makes me feel good now? Versus, what makes the best sense down the road? Instead of allowing the flash of the moment, why not determine to do what’s best no matter how you feel about the moment.

Reaction vs a planned approach is often the difference between failure and success. You better react when that accident is occurring, true, but driving and being better aware of your surroundings makes for better success! That’s why we train for the moment and drive like it could happen any second, but to not be afraid of the unknown.

Keep this in mind. No one can think for you, yet you can learn from their thinking process.

Here’s My Thought

Shallow thinking is often found in the “heat of the moment.” I like to think of it as water where no one can drown! Reactionary. Not thinking it through, or of all the ramifications.

A ship was made for deep waters!
How?
It was made to displace water,
and to rest on the shoulders of the waves
It was made for the deep!
It’s not wise to stay in the shallows, or dry docked and never launched.

Since there are various kinds of ships that can handle depth differently, then maybe we should allow room for different kind of thinkers and thoughts. Right? Perhaps. It’s of my own mind that I like to pause and think words and actions deeper before weighing in with words that cannot be taken back.

Will you grow if you never develop a thinking thought that strikes out for the deep? A little bit. Life requires deep thought to reach the other shore of a subject. Otherwise? You may be stuck where you are. Are you content with shallow water? Then don’t worry about thinking deeply, you’ll probably drown!

From Ants to Deep Thinking

I wonder what the wisest man in the Bible has to say about thinking. It’s obvious Solomon comes to the table with great ability and wisdom to consider many sides. When he writes, he shares his thoughts in just a few words, and you must think them through to consider their depth. If you pause and read the whole of Proverbs 30, you will find this section just a single angle of his thinking depth

There be four things which are little upon the earth,
but they are exceeding wise:
The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
(Proverbs 30:24-28 KJV)

Without the depth of science and experience we have today, Solomon takes four insignificant creatures of size and points out their strength and ability. Of course, there are many versions of each creature, but in his experience of life, he is talking only of those found in his kingdom. It makes me wonder when he thought these words, and what they meant to him as he considered their significance.

Deep thoughts do not always produce wisdom. We often discard the wonder of the moment. In you mind, the thought remains, and it’s no telling when they will come out to influence a future action or word.

This is what thinking deeply does for me. It provides me with a viewpoint I did not have before. A litany of data factors into future actions and words. Deep thinking allows me to better understand without tripping over other actions or words that are confusing.

Remember: No one can think for you, yet you can learn from their thinking process. An Add-on thought is this: I must trust their thinking results, but what else can I glean from the original thought? Think Anyway!

How about you? When is the last time you spent time thinking deeply about something? Care to share? I’m thinking it through with you!