It's All In Your Head

“Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their lives, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”

-William James

 

Everything in life is attitude.  Change your thinking and you can change your life.  I can remember times in my childhood when I was complaining about something and an adult would say something like “That’s all in your head, Michael”.  Buddha has a similar teaching when he says that all of our suffering is within our own minds.  Of course, he is speaking of emotional suffering, not physical pain.  One person’s Hell is another person’s Heaven.  Every time I complain about working, an unemployed friend tells me how much he wishes he had a job.  Some days I do have a bad attitude.  It is usually due to fatigue, not feeling good, or it’s just a day when nothing seems to go right.  On those days I try to remind myself that a bad day is not a bad life.  Most of the time I try to live my life with gratitude.  This past Wednesday night my wife and I had dinner with her sister and my brother-in-law.  He is a little older than me and retired a few years ago.  Retirement has been a smooth transition for him.  He told me how much he enjoys sleeping in every day.  I told him that every time I wake up, and I see by the alarm clock that it is not yet time to get up for work, I gratefully thank God that I can sleep some more before I have to get up.  When I do have to finally get up I am grateful for another day of life, even if it is a work day.  True gratitude begins with the little things in life.  If you aren’t grateful for the little things, you probably won’t really appreciate the big things either.  A good attitude, positive thinking, gratitude, and perspective are what will bring you happiness and contentment.  Please note that none of these traits are things.  It is not what you have the makes you happy.  It is how you live.