You are what you think

I listened to Earl Nightingale's The Strangest Secret while on a road trip this weekend and was reminded of the most important key to choosing happiness. That key is: you are what you think! Every thought that we allow in our heads affects how we think and respond to life. Negative thoughts will breed negative actions. Self-defeating thoughts will find you defeated and on and on. So I had to stop and think about what my thoughts have been lately and take stock of the importance of staying on top of those thoughts and not letting them spin into the negative. I'm doing pretty good these days, but then I've been working on this for many years. Teaching yourself to avoid negative thoughts takes time, but can be done. One of the best ways to avoid the negative is to turn off the television. I know all the reasons people say they watch television, but the thing is, none of the reasons really hold true. It is not relaxing, it is mind numbing; it is not thought provoking, it is thought manipulation; it is not a way to spend your spare time, it is a means to waste time, time that could be spent in so many more relaxing, thought provoking, time enhancing ways! Television is addicting too and believe me, that is one of the reasons I say it should be avoided because I LIKE television and know how addictive it can be; however, I have realized the amount of time it takes away from my life and once I quit watching I really didn't miss it. I have a much easier time staying positive and I waste far less time than I once did. You will find this to be true too if you just give it a chance. Trust me, a month from now you won't even miss it and when you do happen to watch, you will find it tedious and annoying. Ten years from now you won't be saying, "darn, I sure missed out by not watching television," but you will be saying if you continue to watch, "where has my time gone? Why have I not improved my life or become more successful?" You can't grow your personal life if it is spent in front of the T.V. You cannot change your thought processes if they are numbed or over stimulated by television. You are what you think! What are you thinking these days? I hope you are spending time thinking about your life and about happiness. Choose happiness!