It’s your choice

What you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become.
“Day by day, what you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become.” – Heraclitus

What you think about and what you do on a daily basis is who you become.

Are you thinking positive thoughts or negative ones?

Are you surrounded by optimistic people who lift others up or people who gossip and only talk about what’s wrong in their life?

Do you walk around with a smile on your face or do you mope around like Eeyore?

You get to choose who you become by controlling your thoughts, words, and actions. You can’t change what you’ve done in the past, but you can make a decision to do better today and, more specifically, start with your next action. Live intentionally and you’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish/who you can become.

Changing the words you use

Change your mindset and change the words you use.

Instead of saying…

“I can’t.”

“I’m not sure.”

“I think I can.”

Use…

“I’ll make it happen.”

“I will.”

“I’ll get it done.”

Change your mindset. Change the words you use for yourself and for others. Set your intentions. Focus on the right actions. Then go out and make it happen.

How our thoughts make our reality

The world reflects your own feelings back to you. Reality is neutral. Nothing is “good or bad,” but our thoughts make it so.

Change your thoughts and you can change your life. Not only can you make things better or worse by what you do, but also what you say, think, and feel. Shift your mindset to a positive one, where every setback is another opportunity to learn and grow, and where every success is a stepping stone to greater achievement. Choose to be happy and helpful. Choose to not let others’ actions or words affect you, unless you it is to have a positive affect on you.

Control the controllables

Here is what you can control: Your effort. Having the best attitude in the room. Not complaining. Being a good listener. Being able to take criticism. Working harder than anyone else. Researching and trying to figure out ways to become the best. Being a good student.

Things you can’t control? Results/outcomes. What other people do, think, or say. “Luck.”

Focus all of your energy and attention on the things you can control and don’t let the things you can’t control get you up or down. They are what they are. If the ball bounces the right way for you, great! But don’t expect things to go well for you if you’re not putting in the work.

If you did what you felt are the right things and didn’t get the result you wanted, don’t dwell on it. Allow yourself a short period of reflection to see if your decisions and actions were actually correct. If they were, continue to do that and work hard with a positive attitude. Eventually things will go your way. If your actions, while made with the best intentions, ended up being incorrect or ineffective, keep that in mind and change how you act in the future to help produce a better end result.

Thoughts -> Words -> Actions -> Life

Your thoughts determine your perception of life and the outcome of your successes and failures. Change your thoughts. Change your words. Change your actions. Change your life.

Not: I need to do this.

But instead: I want to this this.

Not: I have to do this.

But instead: I get to do this.

Not: I should have done that.

But instead: I could have done that.

Not: I didn’t have time to do that.

But instead: I didn’t prioritize my time to do that or I didn’t make time to do that.

Not: I can’t do that.

But instead: How can I do that?