It is an essential ingredient for flight, right along with pixie dust, if you believe what they say in Peter Pan.
Children do it effortlessly. “Think of a happy thought,” we tell them, and they instantly conjure visions of candy bars or kittens. Were it not for a shortage of pixie dust, they’d be off on some celestial adventure – second star to the right, straight on ’til morning.
For us grown-ups, it’s a little harder. This morning I awoke, and every thought that came to mind brought with it a little twinge of discomfort. It seems just about every element of my life has some nuance of worry or malcontent attached to it right now. Life can be that way sometimes, and this too shall pass. But what to do about my happy thought?
It seems more important than ever to find one. I’ve read books about about the law of attraction, rooted in the principle that we create our own realities with our thoughts. If I am to be the architect of my own existence, I’d better get my thoughts in order. Of course, there will always be things to worry about, but if they pervade my thinking, then if the philosophers are right, that’s what I’ll get more of. Something has to balance out the worry. I need my happy thought.
While contemplating this, I cast about in my mind for a happy thought and came up empty. Then it came to me: a happy thought really isn’t a thought at all. It is the feeling that accompanies the thought. That is where the magic lies – in accessing the good feelings. In that particular moment, the easiest way for me to feel good was to take a break from thinking altogether.
For a few moments, I was able to just be. There, in the peaceful space between thoughts, I could experience the kinds of feelings that will help me create the life I want, full of creativity, love, and happiness.