Most of Your Unhappiness in Life is Due to...
I want to share with you today one of those great moments,
when you suddenly experience a life changing burst of
clarity. When suddenly the answer you're searching for
becomes so obvious ? it's right there in front of you, and
all you can say is "Wow! Why didn't I realise that before?" This was the first of several moments of awakening for me,
following my breakdown in early January 2005. It happened
when I heard the following quote, by David Martyn
Lloyd-Jones from his book "Spiritual Depression: Its Causes
and Cure": "Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that
you are listening to yourself rather than talking to
yourself." Wow! I'm not sure what effect this just had on you? Perhaps
you've heard this idea before. But for me this was
life-changing. Although only a part of the puzzle, it was a
major part, and it was an exciting moment. Let's look at what it means. The first part states, "Most of your unhappiness in life is
due to the fact that you are listening to yourself". Would you let someone else tell you that you're no good,
that you're not worthy? You're too fat! You can't do it. You
always stuff up. You're too old. You're too young. Firstly, what right do they had to make your decisions for
you, and secondly, do their comments empower or disempower
you? You wouldn't listen to them, would you? So then why are you
listening to your thoughts? Another person's thoughts do NOT define who you are. And
similarly, your thoughts do NOT define who you are. They do
NOT define reality. You are NOT your thoughts, and you do
NOT have to agree with them. This is empowerment. If you have not heard this concept before, try listening to
your thoughts for a couple of days. Write them down, and I
think you'll be incredibly surprised at how negative they
actually are. So what's the answer? Well it's quite simple. As the quote
says, talk to yourself. When you find yourself with unwanted feelings, perhaps
anxiety, fear, or jealousy, step back and observe your mind
because you'll always find negative thoughts. Don't listen to them. Talk to yourself, and replace them
with what you want to hear. Something that empowers you!
There is only room for one thought at a time, so why don't
you be the one to decide what that thought will be. So for example, if your mind is saying "She'll never go out
with me. I'm a loser. She'll just laugh", why not replace
that with "She'll be lucky to go out with me, because I'm a
nice guy. And if she's not interested, at least I'll know,
and my confidence will be boosted so much because this time
I had the courage to ask." Next time your mind says, "I knew I couldn't stick to that
diet. I'm going to be fat forever", why not replace it with
"Well, I slipped up a little, but I'm making good progress
on this diet. Let's keep going, because I'm looking better
and better everyday." Try it. Yes, in the beginning it's harder than it sounds
because you're dealing with a massive tide of negativity,
but I promise it gets easier the more you do it. And in
time, it will be automatic ? your subconscious will be
trained to give you positive thoughts rather than negative. If you catch a negative thought, replace it with a positive.
This is your life! Make sure you're the one in control. Live
life to its fullest. Love life, and BE HAPPY! ------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright Lance Beggs. All Rights Reserved. You have permission to publish this article within your
ezine, website or blog, free of charge, provided: 1. No changes are made.
2. The Resource Box is included.
3. Any links remain intact. A courtesy copy sent to articles@howtobehappynow.com
would be appreciated. --------------------------------------------------- Lance Beggs is the author of the "How to be Happy Now"
newsletter. His mission is to help others live a life
of meaning, love & happiness! Subscribe to his FREE Mini-Course & ezine at
http://www.HowToBeHappyNow.com
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