Think about what you think about.  We process between 50,000 to 60,000 distinct thoughts every day.  Many of those are the SAME thoughts.  Isn’t it to our benefits to make some of those thoughts nutritious food for thought rather than junk food?  Or even worse, self-defeating thoughts!  So much of what we think about is just a matter of habit.  Get into some good habits!  Our thoughts color our experiences throughout the day.  It’s nice to have your own personal slogan, or mantra, to remind you of what is really important, to keep you on track.  You can use any quote, proverb, phrase as your personal slogan.  Choose something that is meaningful to you.  Post it on your bathroom mirror, on your refrigerator, on your computer, and at the bottom of your e-mails.  I have a bunch of slogans, but one of my favorites is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

One saying that has become popular lately is “Go with the flow.  Remember the song we used to sing as kids “Row row row your boat, gently down the stream…”  when we go gently down the stream, life is but a dream!  We don’t need to struggle and fight.  Let nature guide us and we’ll end up exactly where we want to be.

A biblical saying is: “You reap what you sow.”  A way that this serves us is by reminding us that whatever energy, time, effort we put into something, that’s what we’ll get out of it.  When we project kindness and compassion, that’s what we’ll get back.  If we respond in anger, or with impatience, that’s what we’ll get back.  Choose the seeds that you plant.

The Buddha said: “Peace comes from within.  Do not seek it without.”  This reminds us that we are the source of our own happiness.  We can choose to be calm.  We can’t look for peace, or happiness, from any person or situation outside of us.  So even when everything seemingly is chaotic and “wrong” all around us, we can still be peaceful.  Think about what you think about and make that conscious choice.