You Own Your Thoughts, Now Control Them

"The one thing you can't take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what
you do to me. The last of one's freedoms is to choose ones attitude in any given
circumstance."
~Viktor Frankl
What if it was possible to be happy even when things aren't going your way? What if
there was a simple way to be happy, despite your environment, while staring
adversity straight in the eyes?

I know it sounds like a great idea, but doesn't seem to be very realistic at first
glance. The good news is, it doesn't have to be realistic, it just has to work, and
it will, if you stick with a few basic principles. The key here is in the
simplicity, and in keeping yourself accountable for sticking with the following
principles.

My experience
This is a system I've been using for quite some time, and can testify to its merit.
I decided that I was tired of being unhappy, and letting my environment and the
people around me control how I felt.

I've had a high degree of success with this, despite frustrations, set-backs and
what seemed like catastrophes. I haven't been able to completely get rid of
unhappiness, and I have to admit that sometimes I still get sad at things that I
shouldn't. Regardless, I have increased my overall happiness and fulfillment, which
in turn reduced my stress and worrying. I even noticed that I haven't been getting
sick as much since I've been happier over all.

Be Selective In What You Think About

The wonderful thing about thoughts is that you genuinely own yours. No one else has
power over what you think about. With this power, you are faced with a big choice
that can impact your entire existence.
Positive Thoughts. You can choose to think about goals, ambitions, people you love,
beautiful scenery, and things you enjoy. This affects your physiology by making you
stress free and healthier.

Negative Thoughts. You can choose to think about death, disappointment, destruction
and misery. It's so stressful to think about how unfair life is, which causes your
immune system to take a dip.
Ask Yourself The Important Question
In my post, How To Make Everything The Bright Side, I mentioned that by asking
myself a single question, I was able to change how I perceived the world. Yes, a
single question is powerful enough to change your thoughts. Just ask yourself: How
do I want this to affect me?

When you ask yourself about what you want, you are able to take control. If being
happy in the face of adversity is what you want, than you choose to let yourself be
affected positively. You take negative situations, and treat them as a learning
experience.

Instead of taking minor discomforts and turning them into major frustrations, let
them affect you in a positive way. For example, you can turn a 48-hour commute into
a learning experience.

Switch Channels
Treat your life as a television set, and when your thoughts project channels of
unhappiness, hit the next button on your mental remote. Switch to something
pleasant and stick to the happy networks.

Remember, you control whether your thoughts are positive or negative and with this
choice you terms with it.
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES

A man is insensible to the relish of prosperity till he has tasted adversity.

SA'ID

When times are good, be happy, but when times are bad, consider: God has made the
one as well as the other.
ECCLESIASTES 7:14