We are all free to choose our thoughts, which control all of our experiences, and regardless of our circumstances, we always have the freedom to choose the way we think. Certainly outside circumstances, people, events etc. influence our thoughts and thinking. But ultimately it is up to us to decide what to think and how to think it. We get to decide whether to accept or reject any thought or belief.

We often see people and ourselves battle with this concept whenever we’re fighting a seemingly intense battle. But we must maintain a firm belief, that “This Is A Truly Amazing Life,” and that we are all in control of our thoughts and thus we are all in control of our life experience.
My parents were very grounded individuals when raising my siblings and myself. We often heard repetitive phrases as we grew up which encouraged us that we were responsible for our own happiness. My mother would always say, I don’t care what your circumstances are. Nobody controls your thoughts except you.

Now, as I’m in my thirties, I found out that even in the midst of severe, intense, unrelenting situations we all face at some point, we have the free will to think however we chose to think. We could choose to see the pain of any given situation as bad, or good. We could choose to focus our attention on the pain and the incredibly difficult circumstances, or choose to focus our attention on the potential good that may come of this experience -- Nobody can force us one way or the other.

Obviously some circumstances certainly influence us to focus on how horrible, and how unfair everything can be. But even though we are bombarded with these thoughts constantly, there was always other thoughts. There is always a positive side to every single thought and circumstance. We can now affirm from a place of more experiential knowledge, that this is indeed a Truly Amazing Life.  And believing that, makes absolutely anything possible regardless of one’s circumstances. Regardless of your circumstances you absolutely can choose to Believe that This Is A Truly Amazing Life and live it that way. Regardless of your circumstances you can Celebrate Life, Smile, Enjoy and find meaning in the moment.

Regardless of Your Circumstances -  Choose Happiness… The eternal search for that elusive something...
Choose your thoughts and Create your life experience, Succeed, Remember who you are, Empower others, Give of yourself, Grow, and Love unconditionally. All of those things are possible no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. And I submit that doing those things is the most fulfilling way to live life.

SO SMILE! And believe me – I understand how completely challenging this is when you are suffering with despair, depression, and severe pain. I have been there. And I completely failed to smile sometimes, even though I knew it would help me. It can be very hard.

But other times I succeeded. And it made a massive difference in my life in that moment when despite all hell being loosed against me I smiled anyway. It was incredibly empowering, and brought me joy in moments that would have otherwise been consumed by despair.
So Smile! You will be amazed at the result of what that physical action will enable in your mind. And even better than just smiling… look in the mirror and smile. No matter what you are going through I guarantee you will be better off for doing that. And you absolutely can do it regardless of your circumstances. And while you’re looking in the mirror anyway, remind yourself of who you are. And say I love you to yourself and tell yourself why. You will be amazed at how much your emotions will improve by doing that.
 
If you need more proof that you can do these things regardless of your circumstances, go read “Man’s Search For Meaning” by Victor Frankl.  It’s an amazing and completely inspirational book.

His experiences of years of suffering in Nazi concentration camps were exponentially worse than anything we have gone through, and he was able to find joy and meaning throughout his horrendous experiences in those camps. And actually, the reason he survived was principally because he sought to find meaning, purpose, and joy in all of his circumstances, rather than allowing himself to think thoughts of defeat.
Believe it!  It’s true. Regardless of Our Circumstances. This Is A Truly Amazing Life...! 

By:  Dahlia Nassar