# Thoughts

|                                      |                      |
| ------------------------------------ | -------------------- |
| **WHO**                              | Group                |
| **WHERE**                            | Group-room           |
| <p><strong>MATERIAL</strong><br></p> | Pen, paper, computer |
| **FACILITATOR**                      | Host                 |

**Introduction**

To be able to lead yourself, you must also understand what it is holding you back in life and somehow manage to learn how to live with weaknesses, suffering and inner demons. What is holding you back is, of course, a subjective topic. What is perceived as inner demons for person A, might be something ordinary for person B.

Thoughts dominate much of our experiences of life, and we can not necessarily decide what we think, but rather our interpretation of thoughts and our relationship to them. Neuroscience tells us that single thoughts, either positive or negative, last only for a few seconds in the brain. Our circle of influence is not to abolish thoughts, but rather to identify patterns, where and when they develop, as well as our interpretation/relationship to them.\
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**Intention**\
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The intention of this exercise is to become aware of and work with own thought patterns, to see and understand if you have any thought patterns that might be holding you back, and which ones that are helping you forward and should, therefore, strengthen or keep doing.

### How:

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| **1** | <p><strong>(5min)</strong><br>Find a quiet place to sit and simply observe your own thoughts for five minutes. We do this to identify what we are trying to influence. Often, we are so lost in our own thoughts that thinking about thinking is not available to us. (This is not meditation, this is simply an act of focusing on your thoughts, just as you can focus on your hands or toes).</p>                                                                                                                 |
| **2** | <p><strong>(10min)</strong><br>Complete<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lNpMmyg4b-QSm24MpU0jXdpXaMCqn16ZFAEWyppZDAk/edit?usp=sharing"> this </a>(<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/byipv9omrhxxqy8/Mind%20work%20test%2C%20Thoughts.xlsx?dl=0">or here</a> if other link doesnt work) simple test. The intention of the test is not to get a good score, but rather to make us reflect on the role thoughts play in our lives, and to identifying areas you may have a benefit of working with.</p> |
| **3** | <p><strong>(15min)</strong><br>Take a look at how you scored yourself on the "Thoughts" section in the assessment.<br><br>-What does the assessment you've given about yourself say about your ability to influence your own thoughts?<br>-What do you think you are doing well and can strengthen?<br>-What do you think you can do better or otherwise develop?<br>-What do you think you should stop doing?</p>                                                                                                   |
| **4** | <p><strong>(40min)</strong><br>Share your reflections with the rest of the group, one by one and with full focus on one person at the time. Make sure that you have enough time for questions.</p>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
