Are your thoughts putting you in a healthy state of mind?
Someone in a healthy state of mind would think these three thoughts.
Do you think them too?
If not, you can start right now.
“I haven’t yet reached my potential.”
Your potential is the theoretical ceiling of your life. But it is difficult to gauge because of humans’ ability to increase their potential through learning and adapting. Thus, it’s poor practice to focus on your ceiling – how do you know it can’t be moved higher?
Unhealthy thought: “I can’t do this because…”
Healthy thought: “What do I want to do next?”
The notion that you can do anything you set your mind to is factually false; we are all limited in what we can do. But it’s far worse to be “too realistic” and miss out on some great things that you can do.
Belief precedes action
How many people believe they can jump off of a tall building, spread their arms and fly? Three or four, probably (RIP). Smart people won’t try it because they’d rather live. But some of these smart people also don’t try to learn a language, get in shape, or start a business because they don’t believe they can do those things either.
What you believe about your potential is the master control for everything else. If you see your life as maxed out or pretty close to as good as it can get, how could you then expect it to get better? You have to believe to achieve.
Tip: Train your mind to think of solutions and ideas, not your problems and limitations.
“I’m important and I can impact the world.”
It’s not conceited to believe you have something to offer the world, because all of us do. It’s healthy to feel important.
Why do people commit crimes? Money is a common factor, but what else? Attention and importance. People who don’t feel like they are valued, appreciated, or respected sometimes turn to extreme means to force the issue. When you brandish a gun at someone, you’re instantly powerful and important. But this is an unhealthy and tragic way to satisfy this desire.
The better alternative is to make someone else happier today. You have the power to improve any person’s day with your words or actions. Shift your attention outwards to make others happier, and you’ll find yourself feeling happier, powerful, and important too. Studies have found that giving is one of the most powerful ways to make yourself happier.
When you give, you matter. It’s the easiest and most satisfying way to make an impact on the world, and it certainly makes it a better place to live.
Tip: If you have thoughts of insignificance, help or give to someone in need, and observe how their joy changes your feelings immediately.
“I define me.”
We all wonder at some point “who am I and where do I fit in?” This is a good question that needs to be answered, but by you, not the world! Know yourself better than anyone else, and know that you do. This is crucial, because if you’re insecure in your identity, you’ll look to the world for clues, and what do you think happens next?
You’ll base your identity on a cruel off-hand comment back in ’97 and look for information to support or refute that hypothesis. The world becomes a panel of judges in your eyes, and you’ll try to manipulate the judges to make you feel better about yourself. This creates a lot of messes in relationships, so don’t let it happen.
The world is not a panel of judges, it’s a mirror that reflects your self-image back to you. So if you show the world that you don’t know who you are, you won’t get much respect and you’ll get confusing feedback because the world can’t provide your identity – only you can.
You define you, and don’t let anybody convince you otherwise. You’re the only person with the right to define who you are, and the only one who can provide an identity that you’ll love. Do some self-reflecting on your values, skills, and quirks, and present your identity to the world with confidence.
The world will accept and confirm your identity. It’s when the mind fails to know itself that things get confusing, because people start looking for information about themselves in a world that can’t and won’t know.
Nobody will ever know you as well as you know yourself.
Tip: Accept yourself with all of your merits and flaws, and the world will too. And remember, it always starts with you. Never let the world or anyone in it tell you who you are.
If you liked this article, you might also enjoy my article on why you must like yourself. If you decide to sign up for my “Focus Tuesday” Newsletter, I’ll send you my eBook and 40 exclusive focus wallpapers for your computer, all free. If you’re interested, you can sign up here.
Cheers,
Stephen
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Written on 8/20/2013 by Stephen Guise. Besides writing for his own blogs Stephen is a featured writer here at Dumb Little Man. Be sure to stop by Stephen’s ‘featured writer page‘ right here on Dumb Little Man to find links to more of his articles. |
Photo Credit: Live Life Happy
