Open your heart, Open your mind, Open your life.

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.” ~Buddha

Everything in life begins with a thought from the mind. The internet was once just a thought until someone decided to put it to work. Then came the ipod, iphone, itouch, ipad, etc. You get the idea.

From the beginning of time, every action taken was a result of a thought someone had and every reaction was a result of a thought someone received. We go on with our daily lives without realizing such a little thing can have such a big effect on all our activities. No matter how short or long that thought lasted in one's mind, it is the driving force behind one's actions and reactions. What then shapes that thought? And how can we control our thoughts so that we can control our actions and reactions?

Happiness or the lack thereof shapes our thoughts. Think of a time when you were happy, what came to mind and what actions did you take? Think of a time when you were unhappy, what reactions did you give back to your source of unhappiness? Surely there are other emotions that may contribute to an individual's actions and reactions. According to Robert Plutchik, there are eight basic emotions: anticipation, anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, surprise, and trust. Along with these primary emotions are hundreds of secondary and tertiary ones. However, all of these emotions revolve around and stems from happiness and the lack thereof.

The definition of happiness varies greatly amongst individuals. Ever since we were born, we all have searched for happiness in different places. In younger days, one may seek happiness in friends, family, or toys. Later in life, one may seek for happiness in money, sex, or alcohol. There is no doubt that we all have searched for happiness although we may have looked in different places. The question then is, why are there so many unhappy people if there are so many different places one can turn to?

The answer lies within ourselves. True happiness cannot be found anywhere else or on anyone else, it is already within us and is waiting for us to reveal it. Thus, if we learn to let that happiness manifest itself by opening our hearts, we will be able to open our minds and make necessary changes to our lives. This in turn will allow us to open up our lives to many more positive possibilities. Life isn't about what happens to us but how we perceive what happens to us. Simply put, change the way you think and you will be able to change your life.