Your thoughts may just be the most powerful thing on the planet. They say that our thoughts create our reality. Let’s think about that for a moment. Reality is defined as the state or quality of being real. Real is defined as having an objective, independent existence.

Let’s take a look at the things that exist in our collective world. Trees, plants, rocks, animals; we can all agree that these exist independently of us. Should humanity disappear, these shall all continue to exist, as they did before us. But what about things such as cars, trains, aeroplanes, tables, chairs, roads, cities, electricity, the internet. Without humans none of these and so much more would not exist. We have brought them into reality. And how did we do this? By thought. Everything man-made started out as an idea, imaginary inside someone’s head. Some were even called crazy if they dared speak out about these ideas before they had been realised. How many people have been called crazy for their ideas? And how many ignored this and continued regardless to create many of the incredible things we see today, that exist in our reality. Look around you and see how many things man has created, simply using the power of thought.

So our thoughts literally create the world that we see around us. Let’s take a moment to realise how incredibly powerful this is, how incredibly powerful we, as a collective species are, and you as an individual. Your imagination is one of the most powerful things you possess. Whether you express it through writing, speech, art, movement, creation or simply leave it in your head for personal use, we must remember that we all have it at our disposal and it can be used to help us or to hinder us.

If our thoughts and imagination create the world around us, how do they affect our every day life? The answer is; a lot! Inside our heads is where most of us live. That is our reality, it exists inside us. So effectively, whatever is going on inside your head is your world. Each of us live in a different world. Some things that exist to some do not exist to another. Let’s take an example such as beauty. Beauty is objective and dependant on the individual objectifying it; where one may see beauty another may see mundaneness, art is a very good example of this. In one person’s reality beauty exists, in another’s it does not. The same thing can be said for many things.

Our daily interactions with other people are largely affected by what is going on in our heads. If most of us are living inside our heads, never fully present in the moment to truly see or hear what is going on, but constantly bringing our attention to what our thoughts are telling us, we are never really there. We are in a bubble of reality of our own making, and react and behave accordingly. We take in the information of the external world, but then we bring this information into our heads and process it according to our internal state of being. This often causes conflict.

Our reality is based on our perceptions. We each perceive the world a certain way; often based on past experiences, beliefs and bias’. So while some live in a world of beauty, for others only ugliness exists. For some the reality of their life is ease, happiness, peace and love, for others it’s fear, disappointment, anger and loneliness.

Herein lies the power of thought. We have the power to control our thoughts. We can become aware of what is going on in our inner reality and we can take control of it. We have the ability to choose how we see the world and the reality of life around us, as we have the ability to shift our perceptions; herein lies your power. It is not an easy task; to shift your perceptions and the way you choose to see things, but it is definitely worth the work. To live in a world of beauty rather than a world of ugliness is definitely worth the effort. Only you can do this, as no one else has the power to get inside your head and change your thoughts. You may seek help externally for this, but ultimately only you have the power to implement the change.

So how do we go about changing our perceptions and thus our reality?

First there must be an awareness of thought, of the way you are perceiving the information you are taking in. How are you responding to it? In a negative way or a positive way? Are you thinking kind thoughts of yourself and others or are you thinking harsh, judgmental ones? Only you can see what is going on inside. What we think and say about ourself and others in our own heads filters out to affect our emotions and feelings towards ourself and others.

Second there is the will to change these thoughts. It is difficult being constantly aware when they arise, catching them and choosing either to ignore them or change them. It often involves putting the ego aside. This takes perseverance and strength.

Third is the determination to keep going. It is hard work being constantly aware of your thoughts and making the conscious decision whether to believe them or not; whether to act upon them or to try to change them by shifting your perspective of external events and information. To try seeing things another way.

But once you begin down this path you will realise the power you have in the way you see the world, and subsequently the power over your own reality. You are not at the mercy of your thoughts, YOU are the force behind them. It is YOU who holds this power, YOU who has the ability to control not only your thoughts but subsequently your feelings and emotions. The power of the mind is an incredible thing. We all have this power, we just need to learn how to use it. It will not be easy, it will be hard work, watching your thoughts, catching those that make you feel negatively and changing them into thoughts that make you feel good, or at least better. It will take time, but the reward you will get at the end is to live in a world not of ugliness and disappointment, but a world of beauty and love. This choice is up to you, for only you hold the power to make the change.

Sending you courage, strength and love, wherever you are.

Sophie