There are some basic principles that you will need to adopt to achieve success and happiness in life. Additionally, there are some fundamental processes that will shape your reality, and you have the power to use and control those processes to create happiness, success, and peace, at least on a daily basis.

In life, we receive endless information input, or what we sense with our bodies. These inputs have a massive influence on our thoughts and on how we perceive reality. This perception of reality shapes our attitudes or how we feel about and relate to reality. Our attitudes have a huge influence on our actions, or what we do in the world, which ultimately drives the results and shape our reality. This reality then becomes input which perpetuates the cycle.

Using The Cycle of Success and Happiness

We have the power to take advantage of this cycle and use it to achieve goals of happiness, success, and peace. Each of these elements – inputs, thoughts, attitudes, and actions – can be used to our advantage.

Inputs

We can choose to place information that is positive and true in our minds. It should be positive and provide motivation to act in a proactive manner. It should be true or based on what is real and useful.Here are a few tips.

Do:

• Read motivational, empowering books by authors, such as Stephen Covey, Zig Ziglar, and Jim Rohn.
• Read sacred literature – the Bible.
• Surround yourself with positive people who have similar goals and ambitions in life.
• Listen to music and spoken words that are positive and uplifting.

Don’t:

• Spend time with people who are negative or who complain excessively.
• Watch mindless television or waste time excessively on the internet.

Thoughts

While our thoughts are heavily influenced by inputs, we can still choose what we think about. We are constantly “talking to ourselves” in our minds. Our minds are always thinking, and we can choose what we think about and how we think about it. Tips for creating empowering thoughts include:

Do:

• Choose thoughts and beliefs that empower you.
• Choose thoughts that bring success and happiness to you and to others.
• Choose thoughts that are positive, true, and hopeful.

Don’t:

• Dwell on negative things.
• Ignore negative things, but live proactively to overcome them.
• Focus your thoughts on the things you cannot control.
• Focus your thoughts on things that will bring negative results.

Attitudes

Although attitudes are heavily influenced by our thoughts, we have the capacity to consciously choose a positive, self-sustaining attitude. By controlling attitudes through consistent efforts (and trial and error), we will find that our actions are more proactive and bring greater results.

Do:

• Have a positive attitude about life.
• Have a positive attitude about yourself.
• Expose your mind to people and media that infuse a healthy, positive attitude into your mind.

Don’t:

• Focus on the negative or on things that you cannot control.
• Watch too much news or be exposed to people and media that are overtly negative.

Disciplined Action

Our actions are the most vital component to success and happiness in life. We must align our actions and habits with the results we want and realize we have the power to control our actions and habits. Habits are the vehicle through which success is attained.

Do:

• Focus your actions on those that will bring you positive, lasting results in your life. This usually entails work of some kind.

Don’t:

• Waste time or energy on habits that limit personal success, growth, and happiness.
• Include addictive habits and gross time-wasters such as mindless television or internet.

By taking control of each of these components in our lives, we have the power to create the results we desire – success, happiness, peace, or whatever outcome we desire.

We don’t always have control over the inputs in our lives, but we do have control over our thoughts. From our thoughts come our attitudes and from our attitudes our actions, which will eventually affect the input in our lives. That is why it is important to “fix our thoughts” and follow the encouragement in Philippians 4:8, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

This view certainly isn’t absolute. Input from the environment and people we are in and around greatly affect our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. But, viewing the world according to the process described above focuses our energy on the things that we can control. It enables us to take control of our personal habits and to begin to move forward toward our desired goals. I welcome any input or feedback that you desire to share.

In our next Wisdom Note, we will explore how to remove the pebble from your boot.