“The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius
This profound statement emphasizes the significant impact our thoughts have on our overall happiness. Today, I woke up thinking about an incident that happened during the construction of our home. It was something that could have been prevented but occurred due to the carelessness of the contractor. This incident will take days to fix, and my thoughts are filled with the “what if’s” and the “shoulda woulda coulda’s.”
Our thoughts shape our perception of the world and influence our emotional state. By cultivating positive and constructive thoughts, we can enhance our happiness and well-being. This idea aligns with the Stoic belief that while we cannot control external events, we can control our reactions to them. Our internal dialogue plays a crucial role in determining how we feel and respond to life’s challenges.
In short, “shit happens.” If it wasn’t this, it would be something else. My reaction to it, my thoughts around it, doesn’t change it. They may affect how things move forward depending on the shape of the thought. So, I buckled down and tried to change my perspective by:
Mindfulness: Regularly observe your thoughts and steer them towards positivity.
Positive Reframing: Find the silver lining in difficult situations to foster resilience.
Gratitude: Focus on what you have and appreciate it, which shifts your mindset to positivity.
Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself, especially during tough times, to nurture a supportive inner dialogue.
Did it work? Well, it depends. Did it make my perspective rosy and sunshiny? No, but it did remove the negatives I had surrounding it. Will things work out? Of course. Will it work out the way I want it to? No, but uncertainty is the only certainty in life. The quality of my thoughts is mine, and they will dictate my reaction and happiness, not something that happened outside of my control, whether it could have been prevented or not. Marcus Aurelius’s wisdom reminds me that true happiness begins within, shaped by the thoughts we choose to entertain.
So, we truck on!
