It's the thought that counts

How many times have we caught ourselves saying, "You make me so mad" or "That makes me so happy?" At that moment we are accepting that events outside ourselves are responsible for our state of being. What is actually occurring is an event that stimulates a thought based on our interpretation of what happened that generates an emotional response. With a statement such as "He makes me angry," the thought may be "Here is one more way that I look at myself as incompetent" and then we feel anger towards the source of that feeling. This may occur at the subconscious level in response to a pattern established early in our childhood. The incident merely pushes the PLAY button for that pattern to emerge. We may personalize everything that is said to us even when we are incorrect in its intent. The old adage of counting to ten before we respond may be a sound one. It gives us time to collect our thoughts and respond in a way that better serves us. If we find that our responses are based on a situation from the past, we may need to do some forgiveness around the issues involved to release its grip on us. We may find that as a result of this action we are living a more serene life. Thoughts are powerful and can lead us down paths that can affect our day. What was the story that you told yourself about the last incident in your life that "made" you feel a certain way?