Your Thoughts Create Your Reality...

I was in a yoga class last week and my instructor said something that I have been pondering everyday since. “Your thoughts create your reality.” It took me a while to put my head around what that really meant for me, but by the end of my class I realized how that resonated in my life.

So what does this phrase really mean? Put simply, your thoughts and feelings are directly correlated to how you shape your life everyday. Further, the way those thoughts and feelings are shown on the outside have a direct influence on those around you. Think back to a time when you were just in a bad mood (we’re all human…it happens to everyone.) Something had put you into a foul state and you just didn’t want to deal with anyone or anything. How did that affect the decisions you made about what you were going to do that day, or how you were going to work? Some may say “I just don’t want to deal with this”, and walk away from whatever it is that they’re in the middle of. Others might just retreat into their “safe zone” and separate from the world for a while. Now flip that around. Think of a time when you were in a positive mood, when everything was going right, and you were just having an awesome day. What was your outlook on life? How much more did you think was possible for you to accomplish? Where did you want to take yourself next?

Does this mean that we need to be happy, chipper, bouncing-off-the-walls, positive people all the time? No, it doesn’t. We are human beings. We are inherent feelers of emotion. That goes for both the positive side of the spectrum as well as the negative. However, we need to be aware of how our emotions and the thoughts that come from them affect our lives, and how we live them. We need to be aware of how what’s on the inside is shaping our lives on the outside. It is this awareness, how you deal with your thoughts and emotions, and the resulting actions, that will help shape the decisions you make, and eventually the direction in which you steer your life.

So try this…next time you are really angry or upset, stop and do an internal check. See what’s going on in that head of yours. Ask yourself “How will this/has this state of anger or being upset going to affect/already affected my day?” Try it when you’re experiencing a positive, happy emotional state as well. See what you notice about yourself. Don’t turn into a psychoanalyst or anything. Just be aware and notice.

I am going to end with another Gandhi quote that I absolutely love…

Keep your thoughts positive,
because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive,
because your words become your behaviours.
Keep your behaviours positive,
because your behaviours become your habits.
Keep your habits positive,
because your habits become your values.
Keep your values positive,
because your values become your destiny.

Enjoy learning more about yourself…you’ll be amazed at some of the things you’ll discover.