In today’s busy world we very rarely have time to focus on what can truly bring us greater clarity and therefore greater meaning to our lives. We most often get caught up living our lives on automatic pilot and end up working extremely hard on just existing rather than consciously living. This seems to be accepted as the norm in today’s society and unfortunately we spend more time working on external things instead of our own internal well being.
Thankfully there are some fantastic resources out there to inspire positive thinking. It’s websites like DLM that help to inspire the change that I myself have been in search of for all these years.
Here goes…
- Happiness
The secret to happiness is to accept everything in your life completely and to let go of the baggage. It only seems difficult, but it’s not. Happiness is a choice we make regardless of the imperfections in our lives. Happiness cannot be ours until we wake up to the truth that we are perfect beings living in a world that presents imperfections.
You are not your problems…problems are a fact of life, we all face them, we will always endure hard times, and this is never going to change. If you cannot be happy, it is simply because you have identified with your problems on an intimate level and made a home for them inside your mind. Wake up…change your thoughts…change your life…the only way to live your life is to accept that troubles are a part of it…only then can you let go and move on when they arise. I have never met a happy person that claimed to have zero problems.
- Acceptance
I don’t like to hear people use the phrases “this too will pass” or “time is a great healer.” I honestly believe that if we’re waiting for better times to come in the future or are waiting for sorrow to pass, then quite simply we are not doing anything to help ourselves move on. The only way to conquer sorrow or hard times is to accept they are here, to accept that we are hurting and once we completely accept it, only then can we let go and move on.
- Limitless Mind
I spend most of my waking moments, studying, analyzing, contemplating and questioning everything that I experience through my limited senses. I don’t rely on intellectual knowledge for the answers to reality. Reality is not what we think it is. Reality is what happens when we wake up to the fact that there is no truth, there is only perception, and our reality is a complete and utter fabricated lie if we don’t accept that our limitations are created in our mind.
- Reaction Control
We create our outside reality by the thoughts and beliefs we maintain about life in general. What we believe in our inner world will be duplicated in our outer world, not the other way around. We all have problems and often we are tested by circumstances and situations outside of our control, but when this happens, try to remember that even though you may not be in control of what’s going on outside of you all the time, you most definitely can control your reaction to whatever situation you are faced with…the power will always be in your control whether you realize it or not.
We have the power because our inner world (cause) affects the influence we allow the outer world (effect) to have on us. So next time you hear somebody mention that you have great personal power, they are 100% correct, because you are always in control of your reality…always.
- Perspective
When you always expect your life to unfold in accordance to what is best for you at the time, then you will ultimately accept that every obstacle you face is a chance to grow and learn. Sometimes even the seemingly worst circumstances can turn out to be a blessing in disguise…life is a matter of perception – perception is a matter of mind.
- Doubtful Mind
We judge ourselves, doubt ourselves, criticize ourselves and pretty much tell ourselves why we aren’t good enough to go out and accomplish what we truly want in life. We wouldn’t allow anybody else to talk to us in that way so why do we allow our doubtful mind to. Monitor your self-talk and take the necessary steps to weed out this self-defeating behavior. You are NOT your mind, you are the controller of your mind.
- Journey Well
Try not to put too much of your focus on arriving at your destination. We know life is about the journey and not the arrival. We don’t need to arrive if we accept that we are already here. Be happy and content where you are today and don’t make the mistake of putting off being happy because you are waiting for the right moment to shine. Travel well today and consciously make the effort to enjoy the journey. It is better to travel well than it is to arrive. Not everyone woke up this morning and not everyone will go to bed tonight. Life has no guarantees, every minute you are living is a blessing that has to be experienced in the moment…in the now…it’s not always easy, but it’s always an option…a choice…your choice.
- Detachment…
We attach emotion and therefore meaning to the situations and circumstances in our lives, thus, we reinforce our beliefs about those things. I know this is obvious, but maybe it is not as clear-cut as we may think. If we step back and detach our emotions from situations and look at them purely from a logical standpoint, we will see that there is good and bad in everything we perceive. There is always two sides to the coin and each side is presented to us at different times. One person will perceive a situation as bad where another will perceive it as good. The situation itself is neutral but our beliefs, judgments and prejudices are the defining characteristics for the outcomes.
Take a look at the troublesome circumstances you find yourself in on a regular basis and ask yourself if it is time to take a different approach. Sometimes we automatically react in the same way out of habit and never get past these problems. Ask yourself if it is really worth it to continue seeing these problems in the same way. Is it time to shift from the side of the coin you so often focus on to the other side.
Remember…the situation will not change as a fact, but when your perspective changes then the situation will ultimately change in your mind’s eye, and we know that our mind creates reality. Even if it seems like an impossible task you must consciously make the effort. It will seem very difficult at times but always remember that it is just your perceptions you have to overcome and not the external task we face. This may not seem a plausible solution to every situation but any effort no matter how small is a step in the right direction. Retrain your mind to see your habitual reactions to troubles in your life from a new viewpoint. Have a wonderful and productive day.
- Don’t Exist…Live…
It is very important for us to break free from the control of external things. We cannot fall victim to outside circumstances. It benefits our lives in no way when we willingly give up our own personal power to things outside of ourselves that we have little or no control over. We all have personal powerful, just make sure you don’t give up yours by not accepting you have power to begin with.
Nobody on this entire planet has more rights to live their lives on their own terms than you do. Accept the world for what it IS and not for what you want it to be. You control the world by taking control of yourself…that’s how it’s done. Being who YOU are is all you have to be. I truly believe that it is a rare thing for people to “live”, simply because we are influenced more by the external than the internal. To be a victim to outside circumstances is to EXIST, but to be influenced by the internal is to LIVE . If you haven’t consciously done so yet, start today by making goddamn sure you give yourself the LOVE and RESPECT that you undoubtedly deserve. Give it to yourself FIRST, then accept it from the outside.
- Own your Mind Business…
Remember…’YOU’ and not the events that happen today will determine how good or bad your day will be. Make it your goal to not let anyone or anything affect your day in a negative way…your mind is the government of the 50 trillion cells in your body and your thoughts will determine whether these cells live in a healthy community or a community of unease. Remember…You are NOT your mind, YOU are the controller of your mind.
These 10 tips have helped me dramatically and have had a huge impact in my life over the years. I sincerely hope they have been in some way helpful to you on your journey too.
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Written on 5/29/2011 by Declan O’ Flaherty. Declan runs a personal development blog at http://taught2think.com and lives by two basic rules which are to question often and to practice what he preaches. | Photo Credit: JohnONolan |
