The Power of Thought Models

Every survivor must learn to think intentionally. If you don't, your emotions gain too much influence over your view of God and your circumstances. They'll push and pull you all day long while not actually taking you anywhere.

To think intentionally, I learned how to use thought models (sometimes called the CTFAR model).

C is for a circumstance you want to think about intentionally.

thought modelsT is the thought you have (or want to have) about that circumstance.

F is the feeling produced by that thought.

A is an action generated by this feeling.

And R is the result caused by your action.

Here's an example from my own mindfulness practice. The Circumstance I wanted to think intentionally about is this: "The things I can and can't do have changed because of my disability."

If I didn't act to choose what to think about this heartbreaking circumstance, my thought process would look like this:

T: I have lost the things that make me, me.

F: Defeated.

A: I stopped trying to reconcile now and then.

R: I lost touch with myself and what makes me who I am.

This is why I must be intentional with my thinking — I need a better thought about my new disabled state of being to avoid really losing who I am. Here are two examples of how I thought intentionally about the traumatic changes I experienced:

T: I'm still fearfully and wonderfully made.

F: Whole, not broken.

A: Continue to grow my relationship with my father by side stepping resentment.

R: appreciate just how fearfully and wonderfully made I am.

T: I'm still made in God’s image.

F: Powerful, beautiful.

A: I lean into new challenges with confidence.

R: I reflect the love of God to the world as His image bearer.

If you follow the model correctly your thought and result will match!