Hello happy people! :)
Time went by so fast these two weeks! I had my final quote all ready for number fifteen, but wrote about a complete different one today because I did not realize this was the final fifteenth quote.
Again, I just wanted to thank you all 15 subscribers (even though we have reached a teeny tiny bit more than that by now) with those 15 quotes that I enjoy and I hope you enjoyed as well.
Maybe I will post a last one tomorrow or maybe I shall save it for a rainy day! :)
So here goes...
NUMBER Fifthteen :
"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a HEAVEN of hell, a HELL of heaven."
~ John Milton.
I don’t know about you lovely readers, but I have two interpretations of my own about this quote.
1. The first one that comes to mind is the power of overthinking. Lucky are the ones who are not over-thinkers. They do exist, and they are people who were born without that over bearing feeling of always thinking far ahead. They genuinely just are born and since then, just go with the flow, wherever that flow brings them and however it brings them. I am born an over-thinker. I am always thinking about the future, its different outcomes, its worst scenarios and its ideal clichés. However, over this past year, I have learnt not to overthink. Be it concerning my studies, my career and my relationships. And let me tell you, ever since I dipped my feet in that flow, I feel much happier, much lighter. For example, I used to overthink about my studies and career. I did not want to screw up by choosing the wrong field. However, when it finally dawned upon me that I should just take small steps forward instead of letting my worries put me in a state of stagnation, I enjoyed my future days much more. I was able to enjoy my classes without stressing about them too much. Because I would normally stress so much even though exams weren’t near. My thoughts would be so I should follow this class with all its details, the prof might talk about the exams, I can’t afford to fail an exam, no one would hire me in the future…and so on, and so forth. You can’t imagine how big of an over-thinker I was. Or for instance, I would always think way too much ahead when it came to relationships. I would never date a guy with whom I did not see myself in the years coming. Don’t take me wrong, if that’s the way you choose your partners and that’s how it works the best for you, don’t stop. But there’s so many good guys out there I either dumped or did not even give a chance of dating because I had already thought ahead and “knew” they were not the right one for an older version of me.
So, the mind has this mechanism of its own, to overthink. Maybe it’s because Mr. Mind up there is unconsciously trying to be protective of its owner. Or maybe Mr. Mind is just bored thinking about classes and or the boring usual chores like when to do laundry, thus it overthinks about different matters. The mind is very powerful. And that’s how it can metamorphose small trivial enjoyable things, summer flings for example or the colour of a new dress, into matters of life or death.
2. On the other hand, what I think would be closer to Milton’s true significance of this quote is that the mind controls your perceptions. If Mr. Mind decides not to enjoy the ride you were offered to as you were born, then your life is gonna be a hell to live in. Raise your hand if you are a pessimist. If you raised your hand, then hear me out. Tame that brain of yours. Tame that brain of yours because it has the power to turn good things into bad ones. And right now, you are missing out on so much. So much amazing beauties life has been offering to you. A living heaven on earth. But because you are letting your brain tame you, you are not aware of that heaven. Your brain is only letting you see the hell on earth. For the pessimists out there, for every little flaw you witness, for every little concern you are preoccupied by, for every little complaint you have to vent about…from now on, take a step back and try to focus on the good outcome that you can benefit from it. Try to look close on how that flaw can make something unique, how that concern can be used as motivation, how that complaint can be used as personal growth because you now know better and you can now improve yourself because – who are we kidding – we ain’t close to be changing people around us. So let’s start by changing ourselves and embellish ourselves, what do you think?
And as for the optimists out there, keep going! I am not going to lie and say this world is just beauty and heaven, oh no. It does contain bits of hell here and there. But you know that, and you chose to be optimistic despite that knowledge. Never be too blinded, stay realist. But being positive helps in so many ways we can’t even imagine. Enjoy that heaven you created for yourself, but stay aware of the little devils who might be trying to thwart your happiness.
So optimist or not, pessimist or not, take the reigns. Tame that brain of yours. And let it know that you can make your own heaven, and you can make your own hell. The only condition is that you are making the decision. Your brain is now the matelot, but you are the captain.
Aye aye!
Your captain out there,
Xoxo