Positive Thoughts For the Mind

 

When living in challenging times one of the most important and often the hardest concept to focus on is keeping a positive attitude.

One of my favorite quotes is from Buddha:

“What you think you become. What you feel you attract. What you imagine you create.”

And, what we consume in the mainstream media day after day can exacerbate the stress and anxiety we already feel about events on the local and world stage. Maybe we need to change the quality and type of energy we are exposing ourselves to on a regular basis.

I’m not naive, but when I interact with folks, it’s is a far cry from the images I see on television. Face to face, most people are considerate. When we don’t project negative energy on others and assume we know what they’re about, we all get along a little better.

As a cancer survivor, one of the most valuable lessons I took away from my experience is the power of positive thought and attitude. I could have gotten depressed and given up, believing that the cancer was a death sentence, but I didn’t. Instead, I made up my mind to have faith and, like Buddha said: “What you imagine you create.”

I started writing about the amazing results of a positive mindset during my cancer journey and how that affected my overall experience: no bad nausea or serious side effects from radiation and chemotherapy. I took it one moment at a time.

In living our day to day lives, we can get caught up in the grind and mundane routine of getting up in the morning, going to work (whether inside or outside the home), trying to check off all the items on our to-do list, going to bed, and waking up to perform the entire exercise all over again.

We want the best for ourselves and our families but in trying to achieve our goals we can start to take a very myopic view of the world around us.

This is why it is so important to have access to information that puts the emphasis on the positive aspects of the news we see and read about. Because the bottom line is, happiness is a choice; it’s in our own hands. 

We have the ability to decide our reaction to circumstances or challenges we have to deal with in trying times. Control, in general, is an illusion. We can't control others, only ourselves. The world spins and weaves its web, just waiting for us to play the victim in the spider's lair.

When the urge arises to enter the trap, pause, and ask yourself. Do I elect to feel self-pity, depression, anger? Or, do I decide to stay positive and turn the negative into an opportunity? How do I write this chapter of my life, and does it end with a period, question, or exclamation mark?!

With all the constant madness in the news, we need a source for a reality check. Stories that put our lives into perspective, not the hype on the local cable channel.

We must always remember what Buddha said:

“What you think you become. What you feel you attract. What you imagine you create.” 

Let’s Choose to Be Positive!