Elements of Happiness: #1: Thought control
This article is the first in a series that discusses the essential elements of happiness.
Thought control and thought awareness are the first key elements essential to happiness. Human beings possess the ability to exercise executive control over their own thoughts. Happiness begins with one’s ability to choose to think or not to think. At times you may be vaguely aware of some negative situation that occurred in your past. Do you bring those negative thoughts into focus or do you think different thoughts? You make decisions about what thoughts you entertain moment by moment. The decision making process is automatic in most people. Years of habitual thinking and indecisiveness regarding the quality of ideas one entertains increases the risk of succumbing to negative thinking. You do have the power to break these habits in the moment. The more often you exercise your ability to change your focus, the stronger your powers of thought control will become.
Thought awareness pertains to becoming sensitive to the kinds of thoughts that you entertain. What type of thoughts do you regularly entertain? Do you predominately focus on happy, fearful, sad or angry thoughts? With what frequency do you focus on these thoughts? How long do you focus on each one? Are you aware of what situations provoke what thoughts? Do you write down your most painful thoughts? How do you feel when you think these thoughts? What triggers you to stop and start thinking these thoughts?
The goal of thought awareness as it pertains to increasing happiness is to increase your sensitivity to negative thoughts. Many people believe the opposite, that the chances for happiness are increased if you can learn to endure the most painful of thoughts. The reality is that the more sensitive you are to painful thoughts, the sooner you will act on them and alleviate the pain. A person who is very sensitive to painful thoughts will take quick action and modify the beliefs that contribute to emotional pain.
December 14th, 2006 at 5:21 am
Miguel, I like the “Human beings possess the ability to exercise executive control over their own thoughts. Happiness begins with one’s ability to choose to think or not to think.”
I also agree with Jane’s “the choice to exercise thought control to become happy may come easier to some than others”.
You are saying the same. The ability you mention is mainly not innate, but developed, and grown through practice. Life puts many obstacles in our path, and we’d benefit from learning the habit of being aware of our thoughts and their implications, and how to manage them.
January 9th, 2007 at 11:26 am
I do believe in getting more and more aware of our thoughts [negative or positive] and by getting more conscious being able to be more happy. In my opinion there is one step before this. Our ultimate freedom we always have [my interpretation] and that’s choice. We always can choose in what situation we are, with whom we are. We always have the choice to direct attention towards our thoughts, what they are, what I allow them to stirr up in action and words.
Therefore, to me, attention is the water that is nurishing the seeds of our thoughts. That what is nurished will grow.
So getting aware of our thoughts is one thing, choosing what to water, give attention another. Wich is also very interesting in fact for you need attention to became aware of thoughts and thoughts are fed with attention.
March 30th, 2007 at 4:35 am
Thought control can be done effectively by meditataion.TM can be tried.