Many wise and learned people have said that we are what we think about most. In essence, what we believe ourselves to be and what we think about most of the time, becomes our reality — we therefore, shape our own lives.
Consider this quote from Gandhi:
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
What we believe, becomes what we think about — if we feel/believe that we are are inferior, we will focus on that and that thought will invade our mind. Thus, if we think over and over again that we are inferior, we will begin to speak that way…then act that way…then live that way.
If however, we believe ourselves to be worthy and capable and that we are deserving of peace and happiness, then that is what we will center our thoughts on and we will begin to envision ourselves to be living and thriving happily and abundantly.
“Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex.” – Norman Vincent Peale
Steven Aithison, a well known personal development blogger, says that our reality is really based on our individual perception of the truth:
“Reality is based on your perception of the truth.
Think about that statement for a bit, it will blow your mind, and blow the lid of what you perceive to be real and what is an illusion.
You are here to live YOUR life, YOUR way and on YOUR terms, not for the people you work for, not the people in the media, and not to live in the little box that society may have placed you in.
You are a unique individual, with talents, with drive, with passion, with ambition, with love, with laughter, with a soul that could melt the hardest of hearts, and with a mind as creative as Da Vinci.
You chose this life for a reason, and it certainly wasn’t to live a reality created by others. Is this the time to stand up, and say I can live my own reality, create what I want for my own life, have the things I want in life without guilt, knowing that you deserve anything you want and are prepared to put the time and effort into getting?
What if there was a way to bend your reality, a way to use your mind consciously to get what YOU want in life, become wealthy, feel comfortable in your own skin, meet the perfect man or woman, become more spontaneous, feel free, love, be open, be honest, be heartfelt, be grateful, be the one, love life, live, feel it, breathe it…. welcome to mind alchemy.
― Steven Aitchison
I like Steven Aitchison’s premise overall, but do find that some elements may be putting the self too high on a pedestal or giving the impression that we should do what ever makes us happy and forget about everyone else. But the main premise, that reality is based upon our perception of the truth, is fundamentally sound — if you believe in yourself and if you value love, kindness, generosity and compassion, then those are the very things that will fill your life.
We are indeed here to live our life, but not always on our terms — we are after all, part of life on this planet and not the center of it. For me, living life on our terms is more about discovering our true self and cultivating a life that is not merely “surviving,” but thriving — that, I believe, means being a positive, uplifting person who makes life better for all and not just for self.
To be truly happy, we need to think about good, happy things, we need to have confidence in ourselves and we need to be willing to sometimes put others ahead of us, even if only briefly. We can start to focus on the good and positive using some of the following techniques:
- Be mindful of your thoughts: Why are you thinking what you’re thinking? How is it making you feel?
- Focus on the positive: Make a daily habit of thinking about positive, uplifting things upon waking each morning.
- Believe in yourself: Banish negative self-talk and in its place, use positive self-affirmations.
“Our happiness depends on the habit of mind we cultivate.” – Norman Vincent Peale
