Imagine your mind as an empty space, like a house or an apartment. Imagine your thoughts as residents in this space.
Some thoughts are neat and tidy, clean up after themselves, sweep and vacuum the floor, clean the shower, bath and windows, put out the trash and generally contribute to maintaining the standards and improving things.
Let’s call them the Contributors. (One who contributes; one who gives or pays money or anything else of value to a common stock or fund; one who aids in effecting a common purpose.)
Some thoughts are squatters who pay no rent, do no cleaning and leave their trash everywhere. They reduce the standards in your space and are destructive.
Let’s call them the Detractors. (One who detracts, or takes away or injures the good name of another; one who attempts to disparage or belittle the worth or honor of another.)
The interesting thing is that you choose who lives in that space by the thoughts you allow to occupy your mind. What you do each day determines to whom you are opening the door to allow entry.
If you know what your basic purpose is in life, have a goal and each day make a list of the actions that will take you closer to attaining that goal, if you focus on your goal and concentrate on improving all the skills that will speed the accomplishment of your goal then you are populating your mind with Contributors.
If you watch the news, read the papers, get embroiled in arguments with people who cannot see the truth, get distracted by social media, don’t have a goal, don’t set daily targets to accomplish then you are opening the door to the Detractors. You are allowing them to populate your space and trash it.
Now that you know this, make sure to apply it. Fully. And reap the rewards of a better life!