My title for this blog is actually a quote by Miguel Ruiz Jr. and seeing it this morning is what sparked my thoughts for this post. I have read many books over the last 2 years that have helped me grow and I have read 4 alone written by the Ruiz family. Did you know that until the age of 3 years old, you have no belief system whatsoever? You develop your beliefs based on what others tell you to believe. Your first influence is your parents, then your teachers, peers and society in general. But we all have the choice later in life, to reconnect with our authentic self. “Your whole point of view of your whole reality is based on what you believe you are, but what you believe about yourself is just a concept. It is knowledge, but knowledge does not mean it is the truth. Knowledge only means it is what you know.” -Don Miguel Ruiz
Did you know that human beings are the only mammals that have the ability to choose their own thoughts? I’m sure some of you may be sitting there thinking that is a crazy concept, but it is true. This means you have a choice in how you look at life and all the experiences that come with it. YOU shape your life with conscious choice, life can only shape your life if you choose to allow it. I know many people are thinking, well how can I control what happened to me in my life? Sometimes, you can’t, but the saying holds true that your life is a product of your reaction….it is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you choose to react. It may not always be easy at times to shift from negative thoughts to positive thoughts, but it is possible. How do I know? Because I grew up as a pessimist up until about 2 years ago when I read a book called The Secret written by Rhonda Byrne. This book opened my eyes and sent me on a journey I never expected to take.
I chose to re-read this book a second time after my first time of reading it 5 years prior, but this time with an open mind. This book had me questioning everything I had ever been taught about life by everyone I knew. How could it do something so powerful? Because the evidence it provided throughout history, which included doctors, psychologists, Gandhi, Buddha, George Washington, Henry Ford, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, every religious and historical figure you can think of learning about, was undeniable. It sent even my logical pessimistic brain into a spin. My biggest influence has always been society because the collective societal expectation is where most learned behavior comes from. Yes, you receive your first influence from your parents, but where did they learn and so on. Everyone’s beliefs are a product of the collective thought. So can you imagine if one by one, each person began to choose for themselves? Be the change you want to see in the world is a powerful thought. If you would like to be around happy and positive people, then do what it takes for you to become a happy and positive person. One person can influence another person and create a chain reaction effect that could most certainly change the collective thought. I choose to believe that one day this will happen and the collective thought will be one filled with positive encouragement of living a life of fulfillment and happiness opposed to the negative thinking of just surviving life.
So I continue to grow, question everything and spread my light to every person I come into contact with. In my experience, it is the only way to find the path to true happiness and bliss in this lifetime. Whenever you feel a negative thought coming to mind, push it away and shift your thoughts to positive things that make you smile and feel good. Let your inner light shine bright! You’ll be amazed at how much your life will change and how you can change the lives of those around you in a positive way!
Until next time,
In Light & Love 🙂
Enlightened Sunshine 