Source: This essay was originally published in the book "Think Success, Essays on Self-help" by Jayaram V under the same title, and reproduced with publisher's permission.
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Abundance is a state of mind. You conceive it with your thoughts, intentions, desires and beliefs. You realize it with your actions, dedication, resolve and commitment. Just by sitting somewhere and day dreaming, none can become successful or rich. Saying so would be naive. Our thoughts precede our actions, almost always. We think before we act, even when it appears we are not. Everything begins as an idea in a fertile mind and materializes through actions. Thus, there is a thought process behind every action we indulge in. When our thoughts and actions are in harmony with our deepest aspirations and intentions and when we are attuned positively to believe in ourselves, we make possible our hopes and dreams.
Our thoughts have a power of their own. If we know how they work and how to make use of them effectively, we can accomplish a lot more in our lives. Our thoughts reach out to others, through our words and expressions. They influence people both positively and negatively. They help us to make sense of the world and interpret our experiences according to our emotional states and perceptions. We value people, who are good thinkers and who have an exceptional ability to express their thoughts and resolve problems.
People are successful or unsuccessful, rich or poor, mainly because of the differences in their thinking. Our mental states influence our circumstances and together they create the experience we call life. Positive thoughts lead to positive states of mind, bringing us their rich rewards. Negative thoughts influence us in negative ways, bringing us pain and suffering, subjecting our minds to destructive thoughts and distracting emotions and reducing our ability to think normally or function effectively.
An idle life is a product of morbid thoughts. A mind fired by the power of imagination and the desire to achieve finds little value in harboring idle thoughts. When matched with corresponding effort and enthusiasm, it will lead to greatness, transcendence and abundance. By changing your thinking and beliefs, you can overcome the limitations of your mind and your circumstances and achieve an expansive state of mind. Your mind is the key to your success and progress. It is the powerhouse of your thoughts and beliefs. It is where your dreams and ideas take shape. Hidden in it are your immense potentials and unknown possibilities. It makes possible who you are and what you can do. Because of that we have awareness, knowledge, sensitivity and intelligence. Because of that we experience and control the very process of existence and intelligent awareness.
If you know how to manage your thoughts to achieve desired results, you will transcend your ordinariness and bring order and discipline into your uncertain life. When there are problems and difficulties, you will not feel paralyzed by your fears and self-deprecating thoughts. You will have an edge over those who surrender to their weaknesses rather than to their strengths and you will reach your goals with conviction and confidence. When you energize your actions with your thoughts, determination, clarity and clear purpose, you unleash your mind's immense power to manifest and make possible your intentions. You increase your ability to reach your goals with purpose filled and pointed actions. With each success, you will become effective, task oriented, and hopeful.
Our perceptions, thoughts, attitudes, feelings, emotions and perspectives, manifest our reality. It is where our convictions gather strength and our progress gains momentum. Others may interfere with our lives, but only in a limited way. They may become part of our lives or partners in our success, but only with our consent and willingness. The healing thoughts that come to us from outside do not heal us, unless we deserve help and are receptive enough. It is with our thoughts that we set the tone and direction of our lives, attracting or repulsing the abundance of the universe and opportunities. Knowingly or unknowingly, we harbor thoughts that shape our destinies. We allow them to build our hopes and aspirations as well as our fears and doubts. Our thoughts may not have the miraculous powers to manifest reality instantly. But they do so, slowly and gradually, according to our faith and effort. If you know how to use your thoughts effectively, you will multiply your energy and your chances of your success.
Here are few questions that are worth examining to know whether you are prepared for success and happiness in your life. What type of mindset do you have? What type of thoughts do you entertain most of the time? Are you able to control your mind and its activities? How easily are you distracted? How focused are you in your life? Are you resolute enough to carry through your actions? How do you react to the problems that arise in your life? How frequently do you suffer from negative thoughts and actions?
We do not frequently ask ourselves such questions, but they are worth examining and remembering to remain positive and hopeful. If you want to find lasting solutions to success and happiness, you need to do introspection on these lines and find your own truths according to your experience and circumstances. Your findings may not help you to deal with every situation in your life, but they will prepare you mentally to take control of your life and manifest your dreams and desires according to your beliefs. A room which is decorated with an abundance of roses is bound to emit the fragrance of the roses. Your mind acts similarly, it reflects what it has. If it has knowledge, it radiates knowledge, and if it has ignorance it radiates the same. If you keep it clean and organized with the fragrance of positive, constructive and empowering thoughts, you will smell the sweet fragrance of success coming out of it. Similarly, if you have peace, harmony and happiness inside you they will manifest in your life too. Therefore, if you want to achieve success in any venture, you have to prepare and train your mind to contain the seeds of it.
Success and achievement are transformative processes. We achieve success when we translate our thoughts into actions and our actions into desired results. Every action begins in our minds first as an idea or a plan and becomes an action only when we apply our energies to it. Otherwise, our actions will remain as mere thoughts or wishes. In doing things and achieving things, we transform our energies by using our resources. We exchange them with the universe in return for gains, approval, and recognition. The universe is always willing to help you as long as you are willing to work with it positively. In life it may seem that you deal with innumerable things and people, but in reality you deal with but one, which is the universe. He appears to you in innumerable forms and guises and creates in you the illusion of dealing with many. In your dealings with the world, you should always remember that fundamentally only two realities exist, the universe and you. The rest is all a play of names and forms. You may think you are dealing with others, but you are dealing with yourself or the universal Self.
Hence when you exchange things unfairly, you become responsible for your actions as the law of compensation is set in motion. Therefore, when you deal with others try to be fair and generous, knowing that the universe keeps a watch on all and settles the dues. You are never separate from the universe. You look at the screen and forget that you are in the theatre. The universe is your witness, and your partner in everything you do. He dutifully balances your account as your resources and energies are but His. You may mistake the aspects of universe as different, but such distinctions do not exist in the domain of the universe. If you are unfair or unjust to others, know that you are unjust and unfair to the universe. When you hurl abuses at others, know that you are hurling abuses at the universes. The universe is the otherness. What you do to others will bounce back to you. Everything outside you is one; everything inside you is one; until you know that everything is one.
Our thoughts create our actions, and our actions precipitate reality. This is the underlying mechanism behind every self-willed and self-directed manifestation. What we call planning is actually an exercise in manifestation. We use it to give a definite shape to our thoughts and desires as the blueprint of our future. It is an organized effort to remain committed to our goals and aspirations. Our thoughts are thus our prime resources, the raw material, with which we manifest our dreams and desires. We are what we think and believe to be. We make things possible or impossible through our beliefs. If you want to achieve something in life, you must first believe in it and work for it with conviction. When you set out on a course of action, you must resolve your doubts and fears. Otherwise, they may become your actions.
Our failures and successes, and so also our experiences and circumstances are mostly products of our consciousness. Superficially it may appear that events happen randomly, but in reality through our thoughts, desires, beliefs and decisions we create them. The world is beyond our control, but not entirely beyond our influence. Knowing your limitations and opportunities, and what you can and cannot do is important. Even in the most helpless change others or your circumstances but you can change your thinking and decisions. You may not have full control over Nature, but you can adapt to it. You may not change others according to your wishes, but you can always decide which relations to keep and which to ignore. The world may not listen to us, but we can pay attention to it and learn from it. Thus, whatever may be the circumstances and difficulties, you can always act to feel empowered and optimistic.
Truly speaking, we are all great survivors. We survive against great odds. We can adapt to circumstances and survive in difficult environments. People have been doing it for ages. We may not be able to change the course of the planets, but we can change the course of our lives. With positive thoughts and aspirations, we can bring light into our hearts and minds and change our destinies. Your thoughts manifest your desires. Since they are not always under your control, you should know how to attune them to your goals and aspirations. You have to learn how to think positively and keep your mind focused on your goals. In this regard, the following suggestions are helpful
- Pay attention to what you think mostly. Avoid frivolous thoughts.
- Believe in your ability to manifest your thoughts.
- Clearly know what you want and focus on it.
- Dispute your negative thoughts using positive ones.
- Think deeply until you have weighed all the options.
- Be realistic, but know you can create magic with your thoughts and actions.
- Do not let others control your life. Empower yourself.
- Cultivate relationships with people who are successful and positive.
- Stay focused on your strengths and positive outcomes.
- Avoid people who are by nature negative and critical.
- Organize and prioritize your resources and tasks.
- Frequently visualize your goals to remember them.
- Use positive affirmations to reinforce your thoughts and beliefs.
- Keep an open mind to see new possibilities and alternatives.
- Improve your vocabulary and communication.
- Practice meditation and mindfulness techniques to remove negative energy from your mind and body.
If you truly want to succeed in your life, you should mentally prepare for it and develop the necessary strength to withstand the problems and challenges that arise from it. You should use your intelligence to find your purpose, define your goals and develop suitable means to reach them. No one is perfect. You must be willing to forgive your faults and imperfections, without taking them personally and being stuck in them. You must keep your mind in a certain positive frame of mind and fuel your actions with positive thoughts. This is the proven way to reach your goals. There is no magic wand other than this. You may not have the wings of angels, but you can wing your thoughts and dreams with your beliefs and let them fly. What you think you are, and what you stand for in your life determine what you will ultimately become. If you are in harmony with yourself, you will be in harmony with others. If you are confident of reaching your goals, you will improve your chances of success. If you remain in a positive state of mind, you will harness your energies with minimum friction.
You are the source of all that happens to you. You decide what will happen to you. You are the sum total of all your thoughts, feelings, emotions, beliefs, expectations, intentions, goals, memories, knowledge, ability, skills and energies. Your ability to control and regulate your life, your capacity to face adversity, your willingness to learn from failures, your interest in forging healthy relationships, your integrity, personality, balance, character, and attitude are shaped by them. They make possible what you desire in your life, how you relate to your world and experience the joys and sufferings of life. Some people work less, accomplish more. There are some who toil day and night, but remain unhappy and unfulfilled. Some, despite their great riches, do not experience prosperity. Driven by insecurity, they live like poor people. For some, life is a rewarding experience. The mere sight of a flower or a sky fills them with joy and wonder. When you interact with some, you feel energized, peaceful and spiritually uplifted, but when you meet some, you feel disturbed and depressed, as if something has been taken away from you or drained out. These differences exist because of the differences in thinking and perceptions. It is for us to decide what we want to do with our lives and in which direction we intend to go. It is up to us to decide whether to take control of our minds and thoughts or let them control us.
