“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
-Marcus Aurelius
I think this is a profoundly powerful quote because if we can just grasp this concept, it can truly be life transforming. There are things that happen to us or around us that we can do absolutely nothing about. If that is the case, it is essential that we remind ourselves that in each moment, we have the power to CHOOSE…to choose how we think about it, how we react to it, and how we move forward in a positive and healthy direction from it.
When you discover the immeasurable power of the mind, it will change you forever. If you can evolve to a higher level of consciousness, the way you view the world shifts. It has been scientifically proven that the act of observing something changes the molecular structure of it. Each thought we think carries and projects energy out into the world. When you realize this, you can begin to catch yourself in the midst of your pain and pull yourself out of it.
Every time you feel distressed, train your mind to switch gears and automatically think about something, anything, positive. It’s a challenging process, but it can be done. Shortly after my brother died, I practiced this by re-living in my mind different experiences I had with him and it always made me smile. I wanted to honor him by remembering all of the good he brought to my life. I had to remind myself how upset he’d be if he knew I was unhappy because he was gone. He would want me to move forward in joy, not heartache. I chose to be grateful for all of the years that I did have him in my life. I was able to do this, with a few slip ups, because of that shift of perception in my mind.
These types of experiences can change who we are, but to lose our inner peace and joy over them is a CHOICE. It is easy to get lost in our problems and it takes most people a lot of mental focus to recondition the mind. Just remember to keep at it. I’ve failed thousands of times, but I know I can always make a better mental choice in the next moment. That’s what it’s all about…to keep making the efforts to evolve from where we were the moment before. Focus on planting your energy by taking control of the thoughts you think. YOU are the only one who controls that.
