You Are What You Think

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. -- Chinese proverb, attributed to Lao Tzu

What we think often comes out of our mouth and into someone else's ears. Our words impact how we feel and sometimes how others think and feel. They're how we share our fears, sorrow, joy, love and dreams.

Our words create action. Intimacy or separation. Motivation or lethargy. Peace or conflict. Acceptance or rejection. They can encourage us to do things we never thought possible. Words can change communities, even nations, as they move others to step forward into their own personal power.

A habit is something we do regularly, often without thinking. We're habitually tidy, messy, early, late, rude, polite, happy, angry. We tend to call the good habits being well disciplined; the bad habits are usually labelled as addictions. Our habits determine who we are - they become our character.

Our character is our stamp of individuality. It's all of our distinctive qualities. It comes from the thoughts and actions we do habitually through time. Our habitual thoughts and actions determine our destiny. Where attention goes energy flows - you tend to get more of what you focus on. Being aware of what you think literally is life changing.