Think About What You're Thinking

A Simple Statement

I heard a statement today that I'd never heard before, and it immediately stuck with me. It's often credited to the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius:

"The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts."

Simple. Short. Powerful.

But what if we changed just one word?

Instead of "your," what if we made it "my?"

"The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts."

That changes things, doesn't it? Suddenly it's no longer advice for someone else. It's a mirror.

So let me ask a few questions.

Do you ever think things you shouldn't?

Say things you shouldn't?

Do things you shouldn't?

Now let me turn those same questions around on myself.

Do I ever think things I shouldn't?

Say things I shouldn't?

Do things I shouldn't?

That answer is an easy one.

Absolutely.

None of us gets it right all the time. We've all let negative thoughts creep in, spoken words we wish we could take back, or made choices we knew weren't the best. And if we're honest, most of those things started long before they ever came out of our mouths or showed up in our actions.

They started in our thoughts.

It Starts With Our Thoughts

The thought behind this statement is that your thoughts affect your mood, your attitude, your perspective, and even the people around you.

When you have negative thoughts and say negative things, it affects your entire life and the lives of those around you. The more you allow those negative thoughts to creep in, the more they begin to shape how you see things. Before long, they start affecting your attitude, your actions, and the way you treat other people.

Keeping My Thoughts in Check

I try my best to stay positive and watch what I say. But sometimes the thoughts in my head get in the way. That's one reason I try to surround myself with positive people. I can usually tell when I've been around someone who sees everything in a negative light. To be honest, I just don't like being around those kinds of people.

There were times over the past several months when the thoughts in my head got the best of me. I didn't want to be around other people, and I just wanted to keep to myself. I truly don't like feeling that way, and it was hard. I talk more about that in my article, "The Rear-View Mirror," that I posted a couple of weeks ago.

I think one of the main reasons I started writing these articles was not only to help keep my own mind, thoughts, and attitude in check, but also to encourage others. If something I write encourages even one person, then the time I spend writing these articles is well worth it.

One Final Thought

To close this one out, I encourage you to write that statement down, or just keep it in the back of your mind. The next time those negative thoughts start creeping in, or those negative words begin to come out, remember this...

"The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts."

Those thoughts and words don't just affect your life. They also affect the lives of the people around you.

— From the Shop Stool