Really try to imagine for a second…everything you do and think can be seen by anyone at anytime. Boy, that is a scary thought. Can you imagine the challenges and problems that would present? Would your relationships improve if your friends and family could read your mind? What if the people at your church could get a glimpse into what you were thinking? Or how about the cashier at the local grocery store knowing your thoughts?
For the majority of us, this would NOT be a good thing. It’s not that we are terrible people, but we love our own private thoughts. I want to believe that most people are thinking positive things, but I know there are some thoughts from people I would not want to know and some of my thoughts that I would not want them to know. Bad actions or negative thoughts won’t lead to happiness and joy, I assure you. But maybe Seneca has an idea of how to find the joy we are seeking. He said,
“I will govern my life and thoughts as if the whole world were to see the one and read the other.”
Govern Your Life And Thoughts
That’s right. Try to control your life and thoughts as if you were completely visible to everyone. If you want to be a “good” person, focus on good and positive thoughts and actions. Try to run your life and your thoughts in as positive of a manner as you can. Woah…that’s a tough ask. Absolutely it is, but we can try.
When you feel a bad or rude thought enter your mind, push it out. When you feel like you want to do something that is inconsiderate, rude, or selfish, do the opposite. Make your best effort to make every act you do and thought you think to be good and positive. If you can make this change, happiness will soon follow.
But That’s Impossible
Yeah, I know. You are thinking that it is not possible to have nothing but good thoughts and do good things, and who can blame ya? It’s NOT easy. Natural thoughts automatically enter our mind before we even get a chance to stop them. Though this is true, you can identify them quickly and move on to a better thought. Pretty soon, you will be doing this so often that your default mode will be positivity. You will experience the happiness and joy from being optimistic and positive all the time. Yes, it will be a struggle, but as you focus on being more positive and having positive thoughts, it will become easier. Pretty soon, good and positive thoughts will run your mind and the negative thoughts will be few and far between. They may not be gone for the rest of your life, but you will have a way to identify and stop them quickly.
Final Thoughts
No one is perfect and we definitely don’t want others to know what we are thinking, but this doesn’t mean we should just think anything we want. True, it is your right to have your own thoughts, so no one can police them. But if you want to find happiness and joy, you need to police your own thoughts. If you are thinking negative or bad things all the time, you won’t be happy.
It doesn’t matter if the whole world can read your thoughts or see what you do. It matters that you can hear your thoughts and see what you do. Your thoughts and actions can make you happier or sadder, so you need to stand guard of what you are doing and thinking to ensure that your thoughts and actions lead you down the road of happiness and joy.
Like I said, it is not always easy, but the payoff is there. You won’t be perfect, but nothing is. All we can do is our best and watch how doing our best can change our lives for the better!!!