We all live in a world full of challenges and stress, which can lead to anxiety and or low mood. The goal of Happy Thinking is to help one be happy, despite facing such issues.
As will be explained, “thoughts” play a very important part in one’s happiness. One’s mind is essentially a collection of flowing thoughts. Every waking moment, one is “thinking,” constantly generating thoughts. It’s what makes one “conscious” and, in many ways, it makes one human.
The thoughts in one’s mind interact with the challenges one faces. The nature of these interactions determines how happy one is at that moment. Some thoughts are “positive” for one’s happiness; when facing challenges, they help one feel positive and content. On the other hand, some thoughts are “negative” for one’s happiness, as they, when facing challenges, tend to lower one’s mood.
To better understand how thoughts can influence one’s happiness, let us think of a simple scenario.
Imagine that two people are working for an excellent company. This company pays big salaries and offers numerous luxurious perks. Unsurprisingly, both these people are very happy.
But now imagine that things go wrong with this company. The management makes some very poor business decisions, resulting in the company losing money. Eventually, despite heroic efforts, the once fantastic company goes bankrupt. With no money to continue operating, our two workers lose their jobs.
Unsurprisingly, both are now miserable in the immediate aftermath of losing their lucrative jobs.
When facing this stressful situation, imagine that the two people in our scenario think differently.
The first person thinks, “Well, that was a great job, but that is no more. There is no point in thinking of what I have lost. Instead, I must start job hunting to pay my household bills.”
On the other hand, the second person has thoughts such as, “How terrible! Bad things happen only to me. I will never get another job. There is no point trying, as the world is useless.”
Both people have to face the same problem, but each has a markedly different way of “thinking” about it.
The first person’s thoughts are “positive” because they do not worsen their sadness. This person’s thoughts keep their mind in a state where they can effectively consider potential solutions. The positive outlook will help the person move on and ultimately find a new job.
On the other hand, the second person’s thoughts are “negative” as they only make the person feel bad and offer no constructive solutions. With these negative thoughts, the person may well spiral into depression, which itself may make finding a new job difficult.
Both people face the same problem, but by thinking differently, each has a different mental state, one positive and the other negative. In this way, thoughts can be an important influence on happiness.
It is essential to limit the power of negative thoughts to affect one’s happiness. A primary aim of Happy Thinking is to give practical ways to overcome them.
In the next section, I will share common negative thoughts. This can help one recognise such thoughts when they occur in oneself.