“Everything hangs on one’s thinking. A person is as unhappy as they convince themselves they are.” - Seneca, Letter to Lucilius LXXVIII
There’s a book that Dr. Mike recommended to me, “You Can Be Happy No Matter What.” I showed the book to my sister who read the title out loud as, “You Can’t Be Happy No Matter What.”
In the past, my sister has had a negative outlook on life (who hasn’t?!) and in the last year she’s worked hard to turn that around - she likely choose to look at things differently. So can you.
You can choose to reframe the things that irritate you and see them for what they are - nothing.
You can choose to reframe your successes and wins and see them for what they are - nothing. And,
You can choose to reframe the present (what’s here and now) and see it for what it is - something.
In the end, all of our wins and losses amount to nothing; it is what happens here and now that matters most. Perhaps the quote is best rewritten as:
“The present hangs on my thinking. I am as (un)happy as I convince myself I am.” - You.
