Marcus Aurelius said: “A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.” This phrase means that what we think about determines how we view the world around us. Our consistent, conscious thoughts shape our beliefs. Our beliefs about the world form our mindset on reality. If we only give attention to negative things, we will convince ourselves that the world is a horrible, rotten place.
Granted, there seems to be an endless flow of gloomy news, tragedies and political division that permeates the public attention. While there are important issues that need to be talked about, on an individual level it would do us some good to focus a bit more on positive things. There’s a lot of good going on in the world right now. From peace treaties being made between nations to the NFL season starting up, and everything in between, there are numerous positive things happening no matter where you look.
Let’s seek these things out, give them a little more attention, and we’ll start to have a more positive outlook on life. After all, one person having a more cheerful attitude can have a compounding ripple effect that can make the world a better place.
Seth Anderson
Bountiful