How is your thinking?

The other day I was in bed about to slip off to sleep when I realized there was something on my FACE!!! Do you want to know what it was? I was surprised that I hadn’t felt it earlier. It was right beneath my nose…it was incredibly large and almost left an imprint on my pillow. Okay, it was big—no, it was huge; well, it was one big, huge SMILE. It almost took me by surprise—the fact that I noticed there was a smile on my face. You know, I am generally a pretty happy person, but the type of happiness that I was experiencing was almost subconscious—it seemed to be emanating from a deep serene place in my heart.

So, as I pondered about what I was so happy about. I thought, and I thought, and I thought some more, and it eventually came to me. My smile was stemming from the fact that I felt extremely fortunate. I started thinking about all of things in my life that are truly gifts: having the opportunity to grow and develop in a field that fascinates me; being surrounding by people who don’t just like me, but love me; and having my health and a nice place to stay. After all that pondering, I was almost moved to tears because at that moment everything was okay—it was ALL GOOD! I was full of gratefulness, happiness, and serenity; there was no room for my anxious thoughts, insecurities, or problems. I was in such a good place, and I think it was due to what I was choosing to focus on in my life.

All of this reflection caused me to consider the power of one’s thought life—how you think shapes not only your mood, but your entire world. Positive thinking can possibly prolong your life. For example, the Mayo Clinic indicates that positive thinking may provide health benefits such as: increased life-span, lower rates of depression, greater resistance to common colds, reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and better coping styles when faced with hardships. You can’t control what happens around you, but you can control your perspective on the things that happen to you. So, in an effort to promote positive thinking, I have a few questions to ask you.

• What is going well in your life?
• What do you like about yourself?
• What are the best qualities in the ones around you?
• I know work can be stressful at times, but what is it that you like about your job?
• What are some of the amazing opportunities that you have been afforded?

When you spend a lot of time thinking about the things that make you feel fortunate, it depletes your time to think about how things could be better. Even when you find yourself in situations that are far from ideal, when you have practiced applying a positive perspective to life, it is easier to apply that perspective to less than optimal situations. I would like to leave you with one last thought from a popular saying by an anonymous author:

           “Watch your thoughts, they become words.
            Watch your words, they become actions.
            Watch your actions, they become habits.
            Watch your habits, they become your character.
            Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

So, I say cheers to thoughtful, meaningful, and appreciative living!

Cassandra Kirkland, M.S.

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Tags: happiness, positive thinking