Thoughts are a double-edged sword. They are the foundations for the creative process and they are also the basis for turning our mindsets negative and even destructive. It is the same mind which creates the eternal art of Leonardo Da Vinci, the mathematical genius of Einstein, and also the madness of a Hitler.
It is now estimated that on an average 60,000 thoughts cross our minds every day. The sad part is that most of us have no control over our thoughts. One of the best attributes of a thought I have heard is that it is like mercury, you can never catch it! I think it is pretty much obvious why we should have some control over our thoughts; unless we do, we become their slave. The finest logical deduction I have read about how thoughts shape our destiny is by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He says:
n Take care of your Thoughts because they become Words
n Take care of your Words because they will become Actions
n Take care of your Actions because they will become Habits
n Take care of your Habits because they will form your Character
n Take care of your Character because it will form your Destiny
n And your Destiny will be your Life!
I don’t think there is anything more to be said on this topic after you have read, and absorbed, this simple elegant truth by one of the greatest spiritual persons of our times. There is, however, one aspect of the thought process which I wish to comment upon. It is the link between thoughts and depression, a syndrome which is endemic these days. The causes of depression are myriad but they get worsened by our recurring negative thoughts which ensnare us.
Some of us have the ability to rationalise any untoward incident, but a large number cannot and get sucked into depressive thoughts, which at its very worst can virtually paralyse them. That anti-depressants are among the largest selling pharmaceuticals, only reflects how rampant depression is in our rootless societies where the anchor of a joint family system has been yanked out.
So how does one try to control thoughts? One way is to count backwards from 50 to zero, as I have explained earlier as a way to control anger. Another method is to try to recall the happy moments of your life. Like memories of your childhood, the beautiful sunset that you last saw, the tender moments with your mother, the touch of your loved one.
It is not just enough to think of these as visuals, you should feel these moments. If you do so, you will realise that your fit of depression is momentary. Your life is not hopeless as there are many things which make life worth living. The point is where do you wish to focus. On the half empty glass or the half full glass?
The writer is a renowned
film and theatre actor