Think happy thoughts

What we think brings about who we are and how we present ourselves.

Many of the thoughts we have are lies that we have believed over the years because of something that someone has said to or about us.

It is sad to think that another person can control who and what we become.

Our thoughts and how our mind works determines how happy and successful we are. Our thoughts also determine how we interact with those around us.

It is important to focus our mind to what we want, in order to achieve our goals. These thoughts start early on in our lives, and like a computer, unless you remove the negative thoughts, like removing a computer virus, they continue to stay and cause trouble while there.

Messages we receive from others, especially the negative ones, are stored in our subconscious mind, and are often expressed through negative behaviours or feelings towards ourselves and others.

Unless we learn in our childhood how to remove these thoughts, we believe lies that are told about us by others.

We all know people who are always negative or critical of others. We also know people who are mostly positive and pleasant. So, what is the difference between these two types of people you might ask? Well, it is based on the mentoring these people have received.

If they have grown up listening to negative comments from others, then guess what, they grow up being negative and critical of themselves and others.

The opposite is true for those people who are positive — they have had positive mentoring.

One can choose to be happy. Whether life has been good or bad, happiness is a choice. Scientific evidence shows that when a person makes a choice to be happy, and practises being happy, one can be happy.

That’s why it is important for positive and uplifting words to be used with children, instead of using critical and negative words.

So what do you do if you are an adult and know you are negative in your thoughts about yourself and others, or someone keeps telling you that you see your glass as half empty?

It is not too late, according to Dr. Daniel Amen, a physician, child and adult psychiatrist, brain imaging specialist and member of the America Psychiatric Association.

Like a computer program that can be uninstalled, so can your thoughts. A new and improved computer program can be installed, and you can create new thoughts.

This idea is not new. Author James Allen quoted 107 years ago, “all that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.”

Research on positive psychology, conducted by Dr. Martin Seligman, director of the University of Pennsylvania Postivie Psychology Centre, suggests that a choice of happiness is possible with positive outcomes in life. It is interesting to note that with every negative thought, our brain releases negative chemicals that make us feel bad, sad and/or react inappropriately.

The opposite is also true. Positive thoughts in the brain release chemicals that make us feel good and even great.

From a health standpoint, constant negative thoughts and therefore negative chemicals, over time places us at risk for diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer’s, cancer and inflammatory diseases.

It is important to get happy and stay that way. Ignore old negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations about yourself.

No one is responsible for your health and life but you, so what are you waiting for?

Karen Hourtovenko, RN(EC), is a health and wellness consultant from Sudbury who writes columns about healthy living for Northern Life.