“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.”— Thich Nhat Hanh

We often attribute our happiness to external circumstances. But in reality, how happy you are is less dependent on what happens to you and more about how you deal with it. Yet, a lot of those insidious thoughts are in our subconscious. We either aren’t aware of them or don’t realize the power they have on our state of mind. One way to take back control is to begin paying attention. Tune into your thoughts. Listen to find out if they are trying to sabotage your life. Free yourself from these five thoughts and you’ll prevent them from negatively impacting your life.

Brandi-Ann Uyemura is a freelance writer who specializes in psychology and self-help articles. She has a MA in Counseling Psychology and writes for several publications and websites.