LISTEN OUR THOUGHTS
A FEW YEARS AGO, I WAS ASKED TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION ON A RADIO PROGRAM: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU HAVE EVER LEARNED?
THAT WAS EASY. BY FAR THE MOST VITAL LESSON I HAVE EVER LEARNED IS THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT WE THINK. IF I KNEW WHAT YOU THINK, I WOULD KNOW WHAT YOU ARE. OUR THOUGHTS MAKE US WHAT WE ARE. OUR MENTAL ATTITUDE IS THE X FACTOR THAT DETERMINES OUR FATE. EMERSON SAID, A MAN IS WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT ALL DAY LONG". HOW COULD HE POSSIBLY BY ANYTHING ELSE?
I NOW KNOW WITH A CONVICTION BEYOND ALL DOUBT THAT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM YOU AND I HAVE TO DEAL WITH - IN FACT, ALMOST THE ONLY PROBLEM WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH - IS CHOOSING THE RIGHT THOUGHTS, IF WE CAN DO THAT, WE WILL BE ON THE HIGHROAD TO SOLVING ALL OUR PROBLEMS. THE GREAT PHILOSOPHER WHO RULED THE ROMAN EMPIRE. MARCUS AURELIUS, SUMMED IT UP IN EIGHT WORLDS - EIGHT WORDS THAT CAN DETERMINE YOUR DESTINY. "OUR LIFE IS WHAT OUR THOUGHTS MAKE IT".
YES IF WE THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS, WE WILL BE HAPPY. IF WE THINK MISERABLE THOUGHTS, WE WILL BE MISERABLE. IF WE THINK FEAR THOUGHTS, WE WILL BE FEARFUL. IF WE THINK SICKLY THOUGHTS, WE WILL PROBABLY BE ILL. IF WE THINK FAILURE, WE WILL CERTAINLY FAIL IT. WE WALLOW IN SELF-PITY, EVERYONE WILL WANT TO SHUN US AND AVOID US. "YOU ARE NOT", SAID NORMAN VINCENT PEALE" YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU THINK YOU ARE, BUT WHAT YOU THINK, YOU ARE".
AM I ADVOCATING HABITUAL POLLYANNA ATTITUDE TOWARD ALL OUR PROBLEM? NO, UNFORTUNATELY LIFE ISN'T SO SIMPLE AS ALL THAT. BUT I AM ADVOCATING THAT WE ASSUME A POSITIVE ATTITUDE INSTEAD OF A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE. IN OTHER WORDS, WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR PROBLEMS, BUT NOT WORRIED. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONCERN AND WORRY? LET ME ILLUSTRATE. EVERY TIME I CROSS THE TRAFFIC-JAMMED STREETS OF NEW YORK, I AM CONCERED ABOUT WHAT I AM DOING - BUT NOT WORRIED, CONCERN MEANS REALIZING WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE, AND CALMLY TAKING STEPS TO MEET THEM. WORRYING MEANS GOING AROUND IN MADDENING, FUTILE CIRCLES.
JUST FOR TODAY I WILL BE UNAFRAID, ESPECIALLY I WILL NOT BE AFRAID TO BE HAPPY, TO ENJOY WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL, TO LOVE, AND TO BELIEVE THAT THOSE I LOVE, LOVE ME.
IF WE WANT TO DEVELOP A MENTAL ATTITUDE THAT WILL BRING US PEACE AND HAPPINESS, HERE IS RULE!
THINK AND ACT CHEERFULLY, AND YOU WILL FEEL CHEERFUL
"I AM SO FAR FROM BEING A PESSIMIST-- ON THE CONTRARY,
IN SPIRTE OF MY SCARS, I AM TICKLED TO DEATH AT LIFE".
--- EUGENE O NEILL
IF YOU LOOK INTO YOUR OWN HEART, AND YOU FIND NOTHING WRONG THERE, WHAT IS THERE TO WORRY ABOUT?
WHAT IS THERE TO FEAR?"
--- CONFUCIUS
