"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Something I hear often is, “I just have to get through < a social event, family issue, work obligation, etc> then I’ll be able to breathe and I won’t be so stressed.” Another common one is, “Once I <get a new job, house, make more money, get a better spouse, get a million followers, etc> then I’ll be happy.
Here’s what I know for sure:
Once you “get through” this situation, there will be another one coming around the corner. And, you can have all the success, money, possessions, friends, fans you would ever want, and still not be happy.
But, that’s ok. You have the power to feel at peace. You have the power to make yourself happy. External things (other people, events) don’t cause us stress or make us happy—we do that.
Our THOUGHTS cause us stress or give us peace. Our thoughts make us happy or unhappy. We’re in control. We often relinquish that control to external things. But, we can take back control. We just need to take the time to examine our thoughts and deliberately choose ones that best serve us. We can bring ourselves peace and happiness without searching for it elsewhere—how great is that? ☺️ .