“Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words.  Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions.  Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits.  Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character.  Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny.”  Chinese Proverb Author unknown

Wonderful words from the past that are relevant to today’s time and they deserve to be repeated.  If we slow down and examine what was shared so many years ago, we’ll discover that we were told how we can change or direct our destiny.

What we think often comes out of our mouth and into someone else’s ears.  Our words impact how we feel about our selves and they can impact how others think and feel.  Words are symbols that communicate what’s going on inside our heads to our selves and others.  We share our fears, our sorrow, our joy, our love and our dreams with our words.

Our words create action.  Our words can create intimacy or separation.  With our words we can motivate ourselves to do things we never thought we could do, and our words can also move others to step forward into their own personal power so they can be of service to their community.  Words can calm us or excite us.  Words can actually change the direction of a nation.  So watch what you think and be aware of the words that come from your thoughts, and the actions that follow your words.

A habit is an action we do regularly, often without thinking.  It’s just what we do.  If we do an action and it feels good or we get the results we want, then we often repeat it over and over.  Some habits are beneficial and some can be detrimental.  If it’s detrimental, it’s usually called an addiction.  If it’s beneficial, it’s called a good discipline.  Our day is full of small little “habits” that we do unconsciously.  Some of us are habitually tidy, or messy, or early, or late, or rude, or courteous, or happy, or angry.  These are all habitual ways of being.  So, our habits become who we are, or they become our character.

Others know us by our character.  It’s our stamp of individuality.  It’s all of our distinctive qualities.  When we describe someone, we are describing the person’s character.  “He’s a great guy!”  “When I want something to be done right, I give it to her!”  “When I’m around him, I watch my pockets, because he’s always trying to get me to buy into a scheme”  “When I think of her, a smile comes on my face and I just feel at peace.”  Our character comes from the thoughts and actions we do habitually through time.

The thoughts and actions we do habitually through time determines our destiny.  If I think negative thoughts and if I am filled with judgments towards myself and others, my actions will follow my thoughts and I will get what I focus on.  Most people will not want to be around me, because they don’t like being judged and they don’t like hearing me judge others.  I will feel lonely and victimized, which will cycle around and around and in time my destiny will appear bleak.  However, if I think positive thoughts and take positive actions toward my goals, my destiny can be one of joy and upliftment, with moments of gleefulness.  I might fall and get a few bruises along the way, but if my habit is to get up one more time than I fall, my destiny will be one of success.  People will want to be around me because of my positive thinking.  They will want to know how I create so many wonderful things in my life. Because of my abundance and my generous character, I’ll freely give the joy and love that percolates in my heart.  Thus, by holding positive thoughts, habitually taking positive action, I create a character destined for upliftment.