Each day we have our thoughts to ourselves. What is the purpose of wasting our time thinking negative thoughts about other people, when we can think of positive and uplifting thoughts about us and the people we love.
One of the first things we are told when we are born is not to be selfish. “Share” is what our parents tell us. Share your toys, share your food, and share your money. Share everything you have. The news is flooded with millionaires and billionaires who are constantly unselfish with their wealth. If it’s not money, it’s their time, to either charities or a good cause. It got me thinking, is there anything we should be selfish with? What about our thoughts?
We all have the same amount of time every day. We are not born with equal intelligence, equal size, equal financial status, or almost equal anything. The one thing that we all have in common is we have the same 24 hours as everybody else in the world. We also have the same amount of time each day to think. Why do some people always seem to be happy, and some people always have their “story” about what a lousy day they had?
I’d bet you a nickel that the happy people consistently focus on what’s good in their life and what they can do to contribute to help somebody else. The average person spends too much of their thought time on negative things. How they hate their boss or something their wife may have said to them months ago are unfortunately just a few of the pessimistic things that people tend to keep at the center of their attention throughout the day.
Even worse is when people tend to think about things that they have no control over what so ever. Does it really matter if two men that you never met are going to marry? Or some billionaire just made another billion as you’re reading this? If you spend your time thinking about it or not, it’s still going to happen. I’m not saying you can’t have an opinion, but to spend any more than a few minutes a day thinking about negative things doesn’t get you anywhere.
It’s time to get selfish. How about thinking of a method to get a new and better job instead of thinking about how much you hate your boss. If you don’t think about options for another job, then there is zero chance of getting one. If you at least think of different opportunities, then you at least have a chance. If you come to the conclusion that there is no way, you can find a better job, than think about how you are in the best possible position you can hope for!
Get selfish in thinking about how you can get in shape. Think about planning a new exercise or diet program. Instead of thinking about something your wife did to make you mad, think about something she did to make you happy. She had to have done something to make you happy at some point or you wouldn’t have married her! Better yet, think of what you can do to make her happy. Plan a day trip or even a dinner that you may cook yourself. If you can’t afford something, take some time to write a poem to her. It’s your thoughts, and the possibilities are endless.
Most importantly, instead of thinking about what you don’t have- think about what you do have. If you are reading this, I assume you woke up this morning. If you are reading this, I presume you have your sight as well. Do you have two arms and legs? Or even one arm and leg? As bad as you think you have it there is somebody out there that has it worse. Think about this: More than half of the world lives on $2.50 a day, and that’s not because they’re frugal. Every 20 seconds a child dies from a waterborne disease. The next time you have a clean glass of water, think about how blessed you are. Next time you want to “share” your thoughts and think about somebody else, be selfish and think about yourself: what you have, and what you can do to make yourself and others happy.
