I have been reading a motivational book and it has been very enlightening. It's call 'The Slight Edge' and it talks about how to change your life. Do you want to remain with the 95% of population who stays exactly where they are because of their way of thinking or do you want to be the outstanding 5% who stood out of the rest and shines in the crowd? It's all about what's in our mind. What we are thinking and how it is affecting us. I haven't finish the book yet and this is what I've got so far.
Little by little, I began to take notice of how my thoughts goes. Do I think of positive things? Or is it complaining and blaming the society for everything? And I realised I was with the 95% crowd.
But without realising, as time goes, I can't stand people complaining their life problems to me. It came to a point, that I actually told that person off, 'Hey, your life is in your hands. You have control over it. If you are not happy, then change whatever it is. What's the point of staying at the same place that makes you unhappy, over and over again and complain about it to the rest of the world, over and over again?'
We can choose to be happy or not to be happy. As per the book, it's easy to change, it's also easy not to change. We have a choice. And I see there's no point being at an unhappy place.
What does complaining get you? Change the environment? Change the people? Change the management? Do you think so?
You can't change the others. You can only change yourself.
I met a 19 years old girl lately. She is already a mother to a 6 month old child. But she sacrifices her education. So, life is tough, earning whatever she can with no college degree. Her husband is also quite young and just stepped into the working world. But the way she goes, spending money on unnecessary things, complaining how everyone in the world treats her badly, how everyone is so unfair and what a poor thing she is.
I was reflecting and she sounds like me. As she goes on complaining, I just shut my ears. So she made some decisions that affected her life, i.e having a baby at a young age instead of continuing her education. But shall we blame our parents for that?
It's our attitude that's what is going to determine how our life is going to be.
I was also a complainer. Unhappy with the world and complain about every single thing in my life. And I mean EVERY SINGLE THING UNDER THE SUN.
But lately, strange things has been happening to me. Things that frustrates me are becoming a joke. Traffic jams are not so unbearable. Work is busy but it's just something that we need to do. People are weird, but it's just because they are not realised. There are many idiot drivers, but if everyone just give way, it's smoother.
Instead, I noticed that the sky is very beautiful during sunset. I am surrounded by people who help, love and care for me a lot. My food is taken care of. My life is taken care of. Life is not perfect, but it's flowing smoothly. Sometimes things happened, but there's a lesson in every happening. Also, I don't really care much what others thought of me.
Then slowly, I noticed that people around me are changing as well. Maybe the Paramchaitanya is working its magic and people are moving more towards spirituality. One day, as one colleague was complaining about her life, i.e getting old, not getting anywhere, another colleague stepped up and said "Think happy things and you will be happy. You only have 24 hours a day. Why spend even a single second thinking about unhappy things? What a waste of precious time. Why think of the past and make yourself miserable? Past is gone, we can't change a thing. We can only change to be happy and it's your choice to choose happiness."
Time flies really fast. In a blink of an eye, it's already April 2013! So why choose to be miserable? Yes, our society is changing, some people are getting weirder. But it is changing.
I can feel it. Can you feel it too?
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