{"id":389,"date":"2016-11-30T19:18:48","date_gmt":"2016-11-30T19:18:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=389"},"modified":"2016-12-09T14:09:45","modified_gmt":"2016-12-09T14:09:45","slug":"control-mind-control-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/11\/control-mind-control-happiness.html","title":{"rendered":"Control Your Mind, Control Your Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"pexels-photo3KK4N508<\/a><\/p>\n

So much of the way we experience the world is dictated by our minds. Let me give you an example.\u00a0 A number of years ago, I was sitting in my backyard with a friend.\u00a0 We both lived in a lovely town which had modern conveniences and natural beauty.\u00a0 In my mind, it was a great place to live.\u00a0 While we were chatting, he turned to me and said, \u201cI can\u2019t take living here a minute longer.\u201d\u00a0 We were living in the same place, but our minds experienced it differently.<\/p>\n

This happens all the time. Two people will see the same movie, and one will love it while the other will hate it.\u00a0 It happened to me just recently.\u00a0 My husband and I hosted a dinner.\u00a0 He thought it was a rousing success, whereas I thought it was a train wreck.\u00a0 It was all a matter of perspective.<\/p>\n

Of course, there are certain experiences that are objectively good or bad. Winning the lottery is an objectively good experience.\u00a0 Being the victim of a crime is an objectively bad experience.\u00a0 But in-between that, there is a wide range of experiences that are either good or bad depending on how our minds perceive them.<\/p>\n

That is why in order to be happy, we need to learn to manage our minds. So, if a situation is not enjoyable for you, you need to find ways to think about it differently.\u00a0 For instance, let\u2019s say that you don\u2019t like your job.\u00a0 Consider focusing your mind less on the actual work you are doing, and more on the friendships that you are making with your colleagues. \u00a0And while you may not like your work, remember that you are developing skills which you likely will use in a future job.\u00a0 If you decide to start looking for another job, enjoy the process.\u00a0 Feel hopeful that there is a world of opportunities out there, and that someone is looking for your special talents.<\/p>\n

Certain aspects of your life may need improvement \u2013 your relationships, your home, or even your finances. But you nevertheless can train your mind to see even what is imperfect in a positive manner.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I may be getting divorced, but now I have the opportunity to live the life I\u2019ve always dreamed of.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cSure, my house is small, but that means that I can live within my budget and still have money to take trips.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cI may not have a big salary, but I am debt free, and I pay off my bills every month.\u201d\u00a0 So much of our life experience is based on where we focus our thoughts.<\/p>\n

It is well worth your time to train your mind to focus on what is good in life. So, if you start to feel irritated or overwhelmed, turn your thoughts to what is going well.\u00a0 When you feel frustrated, aggressively redirect your thoughts to something positive.\u00a0 When we take control of our thoughts, we take control of how we experience the world.\u00a0 And if that isn\u2019t the key to happiness, I don\u2019t know what is.<\/p>\n

(Photo courtesy of Pexels)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So much of the way we experience the world is dictated by our minds. Let me give you an example.\u00a0 A number of years ago, I was sitting in my backyard with a friend.\u00a0 We both lived in a lovely town which had modern conveniences and natural beauty.\u00a0 In my mind, it was a great…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[16],"class_list":["post-389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-happiness"],"yoast_head":"\nControl Your Mind, Control Your Happiness - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Control Your Mind, Control Your Happiness - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"So much of the way we experience the world is dictated by our minds. 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