Have you ever wondered where your thoughts come from? And why you think what you think? Why some things are so obsessive (hear the "hiss")? Or negative?

There are what one author calls "mind loops": things we play over and over in our minds, a repetitious way of cerebrating that is counter-productive and may even redound negatively as far as our afterlives.

Saints called it the "interior life" and monitored their thoughts closely.

Do you watch yours?

Can you step back and observe what and how and why you are thinking whatever it is you're thinking?

For miracles may reside in just such a stepping back.

The best way of handling native thoughts: immediately saying a Hail Mary for whoever or whatever pops into mind. During the prayer, you'll be amazed to feel love flow -- something that at times may otherwise seem impossible (for if we want, we can find fault with absolutely everyone).

When we think of ourselves or others in a negative way we insert darkness into God's design instead of the light He desires from us. If the negativity is directed at ourselves, we hold ourselves back; we don't realize the things -- the joy -- of what God planned for us. And we think negatively of others: this is a bit of a curse; it is counter-love. It has to be rectified or we answer for it.

For we are called to feel love toward all and praying without ceasing is an answer. Few realize that the mind can think at two levels at once: the level that is reacting and mulling over a worldly situation and the level that is spirit and can detach from the wrong emotions of life on earth. A key to happiness is that -- effecting with the Virgin; effected in direct communication with Jesus (a personal relationship).

So many thoughts!

As author Barbara Ireland notes (in How To Stop Negative Thoughts), the average person has 60,000 thoughts every day. Sixty thousand!

Okay; more than you thought.

Do you know why you have so many?

Because, notes Barbara, a whopping ninety percent of them are repeats -- mind loops. You are thinking the same thing over and over (and over and over...) again.

Next question: how many of those do you think are negative?

Answer: seven out of ten.

Seventy percent.

And we wonder why we're oppressed or down or stuck in place; why we get ill; why we toss and turn at night.

We're caught in negative mind loops instead of going with the flow and cerebrations and celebration of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, many of our thoughts are not actually ours, but planted by forces of befuddlement and oppression and obsession: in a word, demons. This of course is the opposite of what the Holy Spirit sends.

When you have repeated negative thoughts about something or someone (including and even especially yourself), step back and cast out any spirit that may be behind it; say that Hail Mary. Soon doing so will be second nature to you.

Soon, you will feel a new level of happiness -- and open the way for the miraculous.

Just do it. On the other side you will review your life and see what you missed because you held yourself back.

Just don't.

If the majority of your thoughts were positive -- supportive, optimistic -- where might you go? How far might you rise? Is it really any fun (beyond the initial evil tang) to hover over critical thoughts about or the misfortunes of others?

A powerful tool, this is: erasing every negative inclination through Mary.

Don't be fooled by the enemy. When you have joy, you jump higher; hurdles are lower; life is an exciting challenge instead of a drudgery. Break the hold, in the Name of Jesus. Let this be the mind loop.

If you have repetitious thoughts that are evil toward others, treat them as coming from evil spirits.

And rest your weary (but content) head in the lap of the Blessed Mother, when that's done.

[resources: A Life of Blessings and A Travel Guide To Life]