This might seem hard to believe when you are smack bang in the middle of a difficult time but the single most difficult thing you will ever do in your life is to control your thoughts. Marcus Aurelius, Emporer of the Roman Empire and a man who knew more than a little about how man's minds and hearts worked, stated in eight words the key to unlocking your life: "Our Life is what our thoughts make it." Much has been written on this subject but it as relevant now as it was when it was first written. Too often we fall over ourselves reaching for the latest fad, the newest cure, the most powerful healer, but the simple truth is that As You Think In Your Heart, So Are You. You know more about yourself and what is best for you than an army of advisors ever could. It is with good reason that one of the principle injunctions of all major religions is Man Know Thyself! Worry, despair, unhappiness, fear, stess, nervousness. These are all horrible conditions and no one can deny that a troubled mind is a pain difficult to endure. But truly the choice is yours and I can vouch from personal experience that the payoff from taking charge of your thoughts will bring happiness you would not believe. Here is a simple experiment you can do right now fom the comfort of your own chair. Sit up straight, square your shoulders, lift your chin and smile then try to think that thought which has been consuming you with worry. You see, it is not that it is difficult to control our minds, it is that it needs constant tending that brings us undone. Emerson in his essay 'Self Reliance' states "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself", and Milton writes, "The mind is it's own place, and in itself can make a heaven of Hell, a hell of Heaven." The key is to decide what you want. Pick something you really want and not something you think would impress other people then, when you are ready, commit to holding that thought uppermost in your mind until it is with you as you thought it. This might be something as simple as "I am going to always appear groomed and stylish and healthy" but by starting with something simple you are letting your mind get used to the idea that a new sheriff is in town. Psychologists speculate that our minds, left untrained, stay at the age of about 6 years old. Do you really want a 6 year old in charge of your life? |
