Happiness of Our Life Depends on Our Thoughts

The biggest disease of the mind is over thinking, especially thinking too much about others – what they did, what they should do, what they said, what you wished they had said, why they spoke at all. All of these rob the mind of its inherent serenity.

Thinking too much is like eating too much. The heaviness makes it impossible to remain light and flexible. We get stuck on little things and gradually the little things become huge things that we cannot shake off. Extra weight is hard to lose!

Often when we think too much we overreact and create negative feelings. Through this fast speed of so many thoughts, our energy is being wasted. Thinking about others drains us of spiritual energy. 

A wise man when asked, “What is anger,” gave a beautiful answer. “It’s a punishment we give to ourselves for thinking too much about somebody else’s mistakes.”

Now is the time to accumulate spiritual positive energy and share that energy with others. Turn your attention to yourself. Only have thoughts that are necessary. Think slowly. Think less. Many essences form the foundation of power, but, above all, it is the essence of one positive thought in one second that helps us to empower the self.  Emerge one positive thought in one second to help you quickly empower the self.  Practice speaking slowly, speak less and most important, speak softly. The next time you say, “That’s beautiful,” know that you speak of yourself, and it is you who are beautiful – always were, always will be. Remember the mind is everything; what you think is what you become.    

The ability to discern beauty is within our own consciousness, for the essence of whom and what we are is beauty itself. The essence of beauty is not something seen externally; it is within myself, I, the soul. 

Once awakened, it emerges in our character as virtue and in our life as care. For what is virtue but love in action. True beauty is when your words are automatically filled with blessings. Holding affirmative mental attitudes helps eliminate damaging negative self talk and provides creative solutions for our human relationships.

Consider meditation as an exercise in slowness, with fewer thoughts and sustained focus. This allows space for deeper feelings to surface related to these thoughts. The art of slowing down the thinking process and highlighting the positive results in rest, refreshment, increased clarity, happiness, and a more beautiful and peaceful you!  

(You can contact Sister Chirya Risely, from Owego, at bkchirya@gmail.com or at chirya.risely@peacevillageretreat.org.)