If you thought the first one was good, read this...It's not as good, but is still pretty great. Or at least good. Mediocre, let's just say mediocre.

I was driving down to New Jer- I mean Tennessee (state change due to necessary anonymity clause) the other day and saw a really good bumper sticker. "You don't have to believe everything that you think." I really liked it and thought about it for the rest of the drive down, in between throwing small packages of carbohydrates, Hail Mary style, to my son in the way, way backseat of the minivan. I loved the idea that our brains are completely under our control, we can accept or deny information input from one section of our brain (thought) to the other section of our brain (belief). We can put up blockades to those neurons if we decide a thought has gone astray from our moral compass. As in, "I am totally fat and can't fit into even my "recovering- from- baby- but -not- into- my- old -size- yet jeans." Go away, thought. You are not welcome here. My brain is now only for happy thoughts. You are absolutely free to think about rainbows, butterflies, jelly bracelets, and Target shopping trips. Aaahh, feels good.

As I was enjoying the newfound clarity and peace found from the message of this meant-t0-be bumpersticker, I realized the converse is also true, or should be. I wish I could believe some of the things that I think. For instance, I absolutely think that every family has to find their own style, their own way of doing things. However, in actuality, it has become apparent to me that I don't believe that for one second. For instance, when I say to a friend, "I don't think we'll do a playdate with them because our parenting styles just don't mesh," it actually means, "I am completely right, they are completely wrong and I don't want to hang out with them because my kids might start behaving like their little terrors by osmosis." **



**Now, hopefully, I have only said this to someone in my mind, but if I have said this to someone out loud and that someone happens to be reading this blog, please know that when I said it to you, I really did mean that our styles don't mesh well, and not the thing about the little terrors. That part was for the other people I have spoken to about the non-meshing parenting styles.



Anyway, incorrect usage of footnotes aside, I think it is an important thing to consider those things that we think and then decide whether to take them on as beliefs or not. Also, it is important to take those things that we think and turn them into rock-solid beliefs. Then, maybe the next time I say to a friend, "There is a reason for everything and it might not be apparent now, but I'm sure this (here reader must take his/her pick: job loss, divorce, your favorite lipstick shade being discontinued) is happening for some reason," I might actually believe it and apply it to my own life. How cool would that be??

What a great bumper sticker, what a great message... Although, I was going 75 while tossing a package of crackers, so it also could have said, "honk if you're horny." Beep beep.