Member-only story
Personal development
The One Thing That Will Help You Master Your Mind
Nobody is powerful enough to cause you to experience your emotions: They come from you
If nobody created problems for you, of course, you’d be super-happy all the time. Granted, the occasional tidal wave might rise to dampen your spirits, but mostly, you’d be cheerful.
Or would you?
Even if you were the only person in the world, you’d find something to worry about because most of your suffering stems from your thoughts rather than other people.
You might need to argue against the idea you are to blame for many of your concerns. After all, if someone sitting next to you on a bus eats a pungent tuna sandwich, or does something else objectionable, surely they are responsible for upsetting you?
The truth be known, though, however annoying or thoughtless people are, how you interpret their actions — the stories you tell yourself about them — determines how you feel.
Nobody is powerful enough to cause you to experience your emotions: They come from you, which is splendid news. If they sprang from others’ hypnotic influence, you’d be scuppered.
