“External things furnish us with suggestions, over which we project our own ideals and make our objects. The wicked see this world as a perfect hell, and the good as a perfect heaven. Lovers see this world as full of love, and haters as full of hatred; fighters see nothing but strife, and the peaceful nothing but peace. The perfect man sees nothing but God.”
— Swami Vivekananda
The world isn’t good, bad, beautiful, or ugly – it just is. How we feel is what paints it in somber or bright colors.
A person in love thinks the world is beautiful. Another person who feels stressed thinks he’s being judged by everyone – even strangers on the street. The person who keeps watching the news thinks the world will end tomorrow, while his neighbor who spends her time immersed in meaningful work sees beauty all around her.
In other words, the world is just a mirror that reflects what we harbor inside. The thoughts we have is the world we see.
This is good news. It means you can change how you feel by changing what you focus on. Notice small things, like the barista who smiles while giving you your coffee or the car that gives you way in traffic. Feel grateful for the food you get when you’re famished, the warm bed you snuggle into on a cold night, or a peck on your cheek from your loved one.
When you notice positive things, you will take positive action, which, in turn, will change how you view yourself.