“The primary cause of unhappiness is
never the situation, but your thoughts about it.” — Eckhart Tolle
This quote is so true but it brings up an
interesting point. If thoughts are really in control of our
happiness, what are they and how do they control us? It has been said
so many times, and in so many ways, that your thoughts are things
that have a profound impact on your life.
This isn’t just a philosophical idea.
Thoughts themselves are measurable. Brain activity and testing have
revealed that thoughts have a very specific frequency that can be
measured with the right equipment. Every time you have a thought, a
pulse of energy travels through a network of neurons in your brain.
Of course, the question remains – how is this pertinent to our
lives?
Science has not yet discovered all of the
interworking of the mind and the brain. It is a realm of knowledge
that is still largely unexplored though progress is being made. There
are two schools of thought… some believe thoughts have a direct
impact on the lives we create and others believe this is untrue.
Since neither argument can be proven yet, we will avoid taking sides.
To be clear, we are not talking about “The
Law of Attraction” here. This isn’t a debate about whether we
attract the things we think about. We are talking about your
thoughts’ ability to create new outcomes based on their impact on
your emotions, behaviors, and your actions.
Let’s just take a look at some obvious
facts. If you believe your thoughts have no control over the life you
live and the experiences you have, you likely:
-
Feel that you are at the mercy of
circumstances in your life.
-
Think you have no control over your
future.
-
Feel stuck or trapped by your current
conditions.
-
Are often in reaction mode to events
in your life.
On the other hand, if you believe that
your thoughts direct the focus of your life and create the life you
live then you more likely:
-
Feel that you can respond to
circumstances in any way you choose and through that response,
create an outcome you desire.
-
Think that you have total control
over your future.
-
Feel limitless in your possibilities.
This whole article is about happiness so
here is a question for you. Which of these belief groups is going to
make you feel the happiest? Think about it, as Eckhart Tolle so
beautifully stated, it is your thoughts about what happens that
matters most. We have all heard at some point in our lives that it is
10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond.
There is an old saying that goes something
like this: There are two types of people in the world; the person who
knows things happen and the person who makes things happen. This
concept, combined with the quote we started with, is truly empowering
once you understand it.
Things happen. There is no denying it. If
you “know things happen” then you go wherever the tide takes you.
The events in your life are completely out of your control. If this
is true for you, then there is no point in trying to change anything
because it’s beyond your power to do so.
Then there is the person who “makes
things happen.” This individual “knows” that events and
circumstances do come up unpredictably and sometimes they are
undesirable. S/he also understands that this is only 10% of the
equation. They then apply the second part of the equation to that and
respond with intelligent thoughts which usually starts by asking
empowering questions.
We could write an entire article on the
use of questions to assist us in creating our reality (and maybe we
will soon) but for now, we want to give you a quick tip that will
help you immediately. The most empowering questions always begin with
the word HOW. Your brain always comes up with an answer to your
questions… even when that answer is untrue.
For example, if you just got fired you
might ask “Why did I get fired?” To this question, your brain
will respond with the most reasonable answer it can find. But this
could be anything from “Because my boss is an arrogant SOB” to
“Because I suck at my work.” You aren’t directing your brain to
give you something empowering. Instead, try asking, “How can I
learn from this experience so this never happens again?” Aha, that
should start you thinking in the right direction and that changes
everything because thoughts are things.
Thoughts have the most profound impact on
your life. A thought can take any menial task and make it wretched. A
thought can take a pleasant situation and turn it sour. A thought can
take nothing and make it something. Thoughts, whether you like it or
not, are more powerful than you imagined.
The opposite can be said about a thought
too. A simple thought or idea can start an industry. A mere thought
of someone you love can turn any instant into a joyful smile. A
thought can turn any bad into good and a single thought can take that
good and transform it to great. The power to change everything in
your entire world can be launched by a single thought.
You too can be the person who creates
their situation by fully developing their thoughts about it.
By
Michael Bloxton,
President & CEO,
oneMYnd, LLC.