Thoughts vs. Actions

I recently read a quote by an ancient emperor called Marcus Aurelius, and it said

"the soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts"

and it made me think about the way that I act and how a lot of the motives behind my actions tend to be influenced and driven by thoughts and moods. If I feel cranky or upset, I will probably sit around and avoid responsibilities, maybe even snap at someone or lash out verbally. But if I'm happy or excited my behaviour is a lot more positive and I treat people with the respect they deserve. The thing about our thoughts is that they are easily manipulated by our environment and surroundings, our experiences, our core beliefs, and our outlook and perspective on the world. If we were to try (and I speak for myself also) to transform our perspectives, no matter the situation, into positive ones then our actions would then be more useful and will increase in productivity causing positive change. Instead of sitting around wasting away we'd be putting ourselves to good use and making our lives just that little bit more delightful. And through thinking more positively and through acting in ways which show the positivity we are trying to gain our soul soon catches up and becomes just as positive, thus making positivity and happiness easier to come by instead of working hard to achieve it, meaning that we will be experiencing it freely without having to think twice (it becomes almost like second nature to us). Also, if what Gandhi said was right about

"your thoughts becom[ing] your words, your words becom[ing] your actions"

that must mean that for us to have a lighter and enlightened soul we must first begin with our actions. We need to exercise things such as kindness, honesty, endurance, perseverance, love, and self-care. And the more we exercise these things the more happier we'll become and the more positive our thoughts will develop, thus leading to a happier and peaceful soul. I think the world we live in is tough enough as it is, you don't really have to look very far to find something disturbing or upsetting, you could just log on to your phone or turn on the TV and I'm sure the news will disappoint you. We ourselves are put through things that are difficult to carry but if through action and thought we use those experiences and the challenges of the world in order to develop ourselves and attempt to turn negatives into positives, I'm sure we will find peace. Obviously, such things as peace and happiness take time and tend to be an on-going development, but it's better to start now and try than to wait for change that will never come unless you do something about it.

- Natacha Martins