Thoughts are underrated and magical.

They have the power to inspire you, control you or to ruin you.
Isn’t it fascinating that only you have the authority over the discussion in your own mind?

I never realized how much domination my thoughts had over my quality of life, until I decided to change my inner dialogue.

No challenge I have ever taken on has been as hard.

When I started paying attention to my own thinking patterns, Pandora’s box was blown wide open.

Once I grasped the negative impact my reasoning had over every aspect of my life, it felt like a punch in the gut.
A huge wake-up call. An A-HA moment.

To come to this conclusion, I had to start changing the communication pattern I had with myself. Only when small changes started emerging, came the huge realization that I have an enormous responsibility for my own happiness and contentment.

No other person, experience, achievement, or materialistic object can have as much influence on my life satisfaction as what my own personal inner dialogue can.

It is both scary and liberating to comprehend that mainly I have the influence over the strength of my inner peace and the quality of my life.

I had to take on this journey with small steps and extreme self-awareness.

I started by paying attention how I speak about myself, to myself.

What do I think when I look in the mirror?
What do I tell myself when I made a mistake or failed at something?
What do I say to myself when someone gives me a compliment?
What do I do when someone pushes my buttons?
How do I react to circumstances out of my control?

Am I speaking to myself like I would to a beloved friend?

Would I feel proud if a recording of the stories I tell myself was played over the radio for everyone to hear?

If you are not expressing compassion, kindness, empathy, and guidance towards yourself, you seriously  need to consider changing something.

When I hear a little voice starting to nitpick at my perceived shortcomings, I make a point to take a step back and to listen to it.
I don’t brush it off or dampen it down with distractions.
I don’t react to it either.
I give it a chance to speak, I acknowledge its existence and if it is not useful towards my personal growth or well-being, I dismiss it permanently.

It sounds like such a simple task, yet it took me well over 10 years to make this practice second nature. And I still sometimes struggle with it.

Happiness is an inside job – I am dead certain of that.

I have seen the positive impact slight changes in thinking can do for my inner peace, and I will never go back to the way I used to be.

No challenge, obstacle, perception, or circumstance will ever reign over my fulfillment again.

I have total control over the direction of my thoughts and the level of my contentment.
I have the complete power to let myself be unhappy, unfulfilled, and miserable.

I decide if I will be joyful, calm & satisfied with my life as it is.

I know that life will throw me curve balls and that sadness and pain is inevitable.
But I do believe that suffering is optional.
Comfort comes in the knowledge that everything comes in waves and that the pendulum will swing again.
Happiness is always around the corner.
The sooner you grasp that, the faster you will reach it.

Choosing joy might not change the situation, but neither will choosing despair.

Every minute I get to think and exist is one more minute closer to my death.
It would be an utter waste if I spent that precious minute trapped in a negative exchange with myself or the world.

Circumstances may not be able to change around me, but I can always find gratitude and joy.

I can always think myself happy.