An aphorism to live by

I was listening to NPR the other morning and a particularly interesting item caught my attention. A writer was being interviewed for a book he had just written on the subject of aphorisms - you know, those little practical catch-phrases that super-smart people like Twain and Angelou and Lincoln have coined. Well, the writer mentioned one aphorism in particular written by Emerson. It goes something like this: "Life consists of what a man thinks all day."

It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue but it is strikingly true. And it's appropriate at this time in my life that such a simple truth be brought to my attention in an undeniable way. My life is my thoughts. And since that is the case, I feel like I need to be more conscious of that in my every moment. I need to catch myself when I'm thinking negatively or when I'm dwelling on an issue I simply have no power to resolve or when my mind is cranking too hard on work when I'm sitting at home on the couch.

If my life is indeed my thoughts, I've got to make them count for something.