We Become What We Think: It All Starts in Our Minds



by FEDERICO COPPINI

We Become What We Think: It All Starts in Our Minds
© Clive Brunskill / Staff - Getty Images Sport

If we are happy and fulfilled, it's because we have had thoughts of joy, achievement, visions, and ideals that we have followed courageously. Similarly, if we are sad and dissatisfied, we certainly had thoughts of sadness and dissatisfaction: all our unhappiness started first in our heads and then we were very good at realizing it.

By adopting this point of view, we become responsible for our life and the thoughts we entertain.

We can train our minds to always host good thoughts.

It’s not an innate ability, but a skill we can learn and hold tight, once we are able to master it.

It’s like deciding to invite to our house only people we like, positive, sunny, full of energy, and literally closing the door in the face of those who do not add value to our lives, bringing only negativity. So, “You are what you think” is an invitation to shut the door on unhealthy and unproductive thoughts as well.

When we realize that our minds are invaded by thoughts of victimhood, anger towards someone, useless memories of the past, it's good to trigger an alarm that warns us we are wrong. Saying stop to useless thoughts means welcoming good thoughts with open arms.

To cultivate positive thoughts, we can help ourselves by reading a good book, watching a movie that inspires us, listening to enlightened people: all elements that will enrich the precious alchemy of our mind.

Our character is formed through the thoughts we let in.

If we tune in to a frequency that lets in good and shuts the door to evil, we give shape and nobility to our character and consequently to our destiny. James Allen invites us to select our thoughts, just like we look through the peephole to see who is knocking at the door, to decide whether to open it or not.

We must pay attention, notice when we are possessed by sick thoughts and reject them with determination. This is a way to become active in thinking, because most of the time "we are thought", meaning we let negative thoughts take over us, our time, and our energy.

We attract what we are intimately convinced of, neither more nor less.

We find ourselves living certain circumstances because our thoughts have led us there. Chance does not exist, and our current situation is a reflection of our inner world and an invitation to evolve towards personal improvement.

No matter how ugly and negative our situation may be, let's not reject it or take it as a curse, but rather see it as a starting point to evolve.

"Our suffering and our happiness evolve from within. As we think, so we are; as we continue to think, so we remain."
Not satisfied with how our tennis is going? Have we gathered few improvements or victories? Let's do an honest analysis of our thoughts, of all the abstract contents that inhabit our heads and of which we are so often (if not always) unaware.

Perhaps we think it's a bad time for our tennis in general, that our coach is not up to it, that we can't understand certain mechanisms, and so on ad infinitum. If we let these thoughts constantly occupy our minds, how can we make room for creativity, how can we have the drive towards improvement? We are already blocked at the start, we are not giving our best, we are not putting all our potential into play because, inside us, we are convinced that it is not worth it.

If, on the other hand, our minds are focused on thoughts of abundance and growth, if we are convinced of the value of our activity, we will take a series of actions that will lead to very different results.

Stop Being Passengers of the Tram of Existence and Take Command

We can intentionally try to change our thoughts and see what happens: there will certainly be external repercussions.

The rudder of our ship will start to take a direction no longer random, but in line with what we decide. What happens if we continuously direct our thoughts to improving one of our shots or experimenting with different strategies? What happens when we stop thinking that "we are bad"? Certainly, this turn in our thoughts brings a change in reality.

In the best case scenario, we will see an exponential improvement, in the worst case scenario we will not yet have the desired results, but we will have trained to do our best.

It's Useless to Fight Against External Circumstances

When We Are Responsible We want to find the ideal partner, but we are not ready to improve that aspect of our character that needs a touch-up.

We would like to have a beautiful garden, but we are not ready to dig the necessary, nor to buy good seeds, nor even to wake up early to water it. We would like the garden to take care of itself. We absolutely want to change our lives, but we are not ready to change ourselves first.

It's as if we want to make a good cake and then we get angry with the oven because it burned it: where were we while the oven was doing its job?

"Men are anxious to improve the circumstances of their own lives but are reluctant to change themselves; they thus remain stuck”.

Why weren't we attentive and ready to take it out at the right time? So also with your tennis...you are 100% responsible: do you want to improve? Well, start training seriously on that aspect you want to improve and don't blame yourself.

Do you want to become a professional player? What are you waiting for? You must FROM NOW behave 100% like a professional. I know it's hard, but it's the way...if you don't want to pay the price...better change your goal.

Suffering is the Result of a Lack of Mental Harmony

When we suffer, it means we are cultivating wrong thoughts.

The root, the real cause (and not the effect) of our sufferings is in our way of thinking. When we stop attributing external causes to our failures and dissatisfactions, there begins real progress. There we begin to be creators of our destiny.

Things are as they are and the Universe is perfect: when we change our way of thinking, of seeing people and situations, as if by magic everything changes. Thoughts of peace and serenity turn into polite and tranquil actions, which create a serene and joyful life.

Energetic, altruistic, and abundant thoughts turn into actions of generosity and prosperity, which materialize in a life full of satisfaction.

The Health of the Body is a Consequence of Our Way of Thinking

Our health directly depends on what we think because our body, unconsciously, responds to our mind.

If we have good thoughts, our body follows, if we have negative and sick thoughts, the body equally obeys. Sure, it might seem trivial nowadays, but if we think about it a bit, it's not at all. Are we really willing to believe that everything starts with thoughts? When we have a migraine that splits our head in two, are we willing to stop for a moment and reflect on its origins? Or do we prefer to take a pill to silence the pain, without realizing that the cause may be a bad thought?

"Dreams are the seeds of reality”.

Good, positive, sunny, cheerful, vital thoughts nourish a healthy, vigorous, robust body. At a hundred years old we can be in excellent health. The wrinkles of sympathy, of those who have laughed a lot, of those who have shared magical moments with loved ones, are very different from the wrinkles of those who have worried a lot and have not experienced the joy of fulfillment.

There is no better medicine than cheerfulness, a reflection of sunny and radiant thoughts, to age serenely.

The Importance of Uniting Thought and Intention to Fulfill One's Mission

Most people lead a life without goals, without a purpose, without a heart's desire.

Whether it's a spiritual or material goal, each of us should always keep it in mind, it should be the beacon of our lives. Having a purpose allows us to focus our thoughts and automatically our mind aligns towards a goal, letting go of what is not needed.

It's a way to eliminate from the mind what is superfluous and harmful, to form character and willpower. Having a goal strengthens us, failure does not scare us, because we are chasing a dream, a mission, and failure is already contemplated from the start; we know that not everything will go well, but it will go well overall.

Once we have chosen a goal, we must align ourselves with it: doubts, hesitations, second thoughts cannot be part of our repertoire, because they would block the path we have taken. We select our thoughts, we literally close the door in the face of doubts and hesitations, and off we go, towards our adventure.

Our Thoughts Must Always Be Aligned with Our Purpose

We have total responsibility for what happens to us, from our thinking our reality is born. Sufferings and joys are born first of all within us: as we think, so we are.

To achieve our noblest goals, we must elevate our thoughts, clean them, polish them, make sure they are at our service. We must renounce all those devastating thoughts in which we tend to wallow (and we all do it). The habit is too strong, no one has ever explained to us that we can refuse certain thoughts, and welcome only the good ones.

We must confidently believe in our purpose and try to reach it in every way; by doing so, not only will we become better people, but we will also be helped by the Universe, which admires the bold.

Calmness and Serenity: The Secret Ingredients for Personal Fulfillment and Helping Others

We often underestimate the immense potential of a calm and relaxed person, someone who is reliable and confident.

Those who manage to cultivate inner serenity and tranquility not only benefit themselves but also radiate these qualities outward, leading to great admiration. Who doesn't appreciate dealing with balanced, composed, trustworthy, and reassuring individuals, especially in business? Just like wisdom, serenity is a valuable trait in a person.

When we succeed in controlling our thoughts, choosing only those that benefit us, we achieve a state of calm where the soul shines like a precious stone, perceptible even from the outside.