Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words.
Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions.
Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits.
Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character.
Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny.
(Mother Teresa)
This is a very simple saying but this tells us how our thoughts shape our destiny.
I came across this saying a few years ago. Since then, this quote remains in a special place in my mind as the reminder to have better thoughts.
Happy thoughts create a happy destiny. Unhappy thoughts create an unhappy destiny.
Thoughts are the fundamental aspect of our destiny.
However, in my opinion, it is impossible for us to keep positive thoughts all the time. As humans, we face obstacles from time to time. During adversity, it is normal to experience emotional ups-and-downs, which influence our thoughts.
The other day, something put me down. This made me upset and emotional. People around me gave kind words of encouragements, but this did not reach my heart. They were kindly trying to pull me up but I shut them out and built a wall around my heart. I thought I was alone in the situation that no one could understand my struggles. I knew my thoughts were making me feel worse; however, nothing calmed down my temper.
While having this negative temperament, I made unusual mistakes. I stubbed my toe and dropped a treasured piece of dishware, which shattered all over the floor.
These events happened to me just within a few hours while I was upset.
These consequences were obvious signs that my mood was attracting these unhappy situations; however, I allowed myself to be depressed for a moment. During that time, I confirmed that negative thought is a magnet of the negative consequences.
Then, what can you do when you are in these situations?
What kind of mindset should we have when facing obstacles?
Our Prayer Book says, “Most conditions that are judged as bad through human knowledge are the source of good in the spiritual realm,” and “Most phenomena that are judged as bad by human thought will turn out to be the beginning of good.”
We are taught that God knows the capability of individual souls and He gives us the suitable challenging in order to nurture us.
God only gives us the challenges which we can surely overcome. In other words, everything is God’s arrangement. In the eyes of God, challenging situations will become heavenly gifts to improve our soul.
This is what I try to think about whenever I’m feeling down or facing difficulties. And leave everything to the universe with my fingers crossed. This is the small step which I can at least make in order to move out of the bottom of the waves.
Five years ago, a sharp pain suddenly occurred in my lower back. I had never suffered from such a heavy backache. Unfortunately, the pain intensified day by day. It eventually got so bad that adjusting my posture was ineffective. I felt hopeless and scared that I would be stuck with this pain permanently.
At the peak pain, my friends gave me an intensive Divine Light session to my back. After the session, I felt much better as if I was a different person. The core pain was still there, but it was such a huge improvement compared to what it was before the Light session started.
Just after this Divine Light session, a lady came to visit the center. She was a single mother of five children and she was suffering from chronic back pain for decades. Due to the heavy pain, she was even limping. She had tried everything to heal her pain, but nothing worked. She was desperate to relieve her back pain. After hearing her story, I volunteered to give her Divine Light session. Because I know the pain, I thought I could at least help her. Her pain spot was located in same place as mine. I performed Divine Light with my whole heart. During the session, I was so focused and I even forgot about my own pain. I had a sensation that something was leaving from her back. After the session, she said that her pain was nearly vanished. The change was very obvious to anyone as she was not limping at all. Her refreshed and relieved face with the hope that Divine Light would help her gave me such a joy. My back pain was worth experiencing in respect of assisting her. At the moment, I was so flattered that my pain became my advantage as a Divine Light performer.
After seeing her off, to my surprise, my backache which I suffered for nearly two months was completely gone. Since then, I no longer suffer with back pain.
As I experienced, our pain could be the advantage and benefit in helping people. The pain and struggles will surely be transformed into assets later in the future.
In this universe, Heavenly Will overflows everywhere. Believe that all the phenomena are the nutrients for the development of the souls. Having this idea and thought, and being grateful for everything, we can arrive in a good destination.
If each one’s thought is in the good place, the destiny of humanity shall be brighter. Our thoughts change our future. Sharing good thoughts with people around us will bring a better future, as Mother Teresa says.