What I think doesn’t really matter. It’s what I believe that really counts. This is a discussion I had with a friend of mine the other day. 

Here’s the difference.

What we think starts as an idea. We get those ideas from what we read, what we hear or what we experience from others. Sharing what we think is safe. 

 “What we believe” goes much deeper than what we think. Our beliefs start in our head and before becoming beliefs must find their way into our mouth where we can chew on them. Those thoughts travel to our stomach where we digest them and finally they end up in our blood stream and are lodged in our heart.

The heart is where idea’s become beliefs. It is there where they anchor themselves to our very being. The difficult thing about beliefs is they become part of us. Exposing those beliefs is like being naked in front of people. People can put up with our ideas and thoughts but when they become beliefs those same people can feel threatened.

I believe that is one of the problems you find in politics today.  There are too many thoughts, rooted in polls, popular opinion and culture. At first the words sound good. Sometimes they even make sense. But the sweet taste turns bitter the longer you listen. The words that once brought perceived clarity sound more like a clamoring symbol or something out of my public relations class in college.

Here’s a test to see if your idea is a belief. The next time you have an idea say nothing. Swirl your thoughts around in your head like fine wine in a glass. Smell the thought to make sure it’s aged to perfection and before you let it slip off your tongue chew it, swallow it, digest it and let it enter your blood stream. That’s the only way to get your thoughts to your heart.

Maybe what I think really doesn’t matter. But what I believe makes all the difference in the world.