Can thoughts be controlled?

There comes a point in life, when you doubt the validity of your own thoughts and the actions that result from those thoughts. Bang! The most fundamental dilemma has been put forth to you! 

So far in life, you assume that the events happening around you were a result of a logical process of analysing situations and developing a response. In childhood, when the mental faculties of thought are not yet sharpened, we are completely influenced by the environment around us. Whatever we see, observe, hear, smell, taste, touch -we take it without any kind of a filter or analysis – it is very direct and it therefore affects us tremendously. Our mind is like a sponge, absorbing whatever comes in its way. Some are lucky to receive good experiences, whereas others encounter challenging situations from the beginning. 

As we grow up, we start to analyse what is happening around us and within us. We realize that the environment affects us (and this can sometimes be harmful to us) and we should see to it that the environment has a positive effect on us – thus starting  series of thoughts and actions to make sure that we benefit in the most positive way (regardless of what the environment offers us). However, things don’t always go as per our plan or our expectations always. And we again get hurt, despite the best intentions and plans and precautions we take. 

Sometime later, we start to sense, that how we choose to perceive environment defines the experiences we create for our selves. Therefore, it seems like the ‘pot’ of mud is made by two hands simultaneously – ‘us’ and the ‘environment’. For making of this ‘pot’ that we call ‘life’, BOTH hands are required to work in sync and the quality of the earthen pot (life) is linked with this relationship between us and the environment. 

What this means that external events occur and we are a witness to them. Our thoughts regarding them can either make us strong or break us. Sometimes, I feel, thoughts are the only reality we create for us – otherwise, the external events have no meaning that way. Thus, the need is to know what we are thinking and how we are thinking. Whatever pain, sorrow, pleasure, joy we experience – we have attracted for ourselves. Thus, we can change the way we perceive things. That is the only thing (and the only reality) that we should care for. It is difficult to imagine that our mind can never be empty, because that would mean no experience at all and that would mean – no tangible meaning to exist! 

So are things happening ‘outside’ or they happening in ‘our heads’?!! Tricky question. Maybe both happen. It is a mystery why we keep clinging so much to people, things, events, ourselves....when we know everything will change. And if everything will change, why do we regret at times, why do we get angry and why do we expect that things should have happened in particular ways? Why do we seek solace or why do we expect attention or approval? If only we realize that we need to have faith and keep moving and be positive, we would be freer than we could imagine.