External forces such as education, family ties, work, etc, influence us in many ways but what happens internally, in our thinking, is the stronger force that sets the course your life will drive immovably towards.

I wonder, what thoughts are driving your life?

What we think is what we are. Therefore, if we are to become what we want to be, then we must begin with our minds and the thoughts we think.

We must think the way a person thinks who is already at the place where we want to be, living from that desired reality in our minds now, speaking and doing in a way that says we have arrived where we want to be.

Too often the emphasis for self development focusses on lists of activities, that if performed, become the means of personal transformation.

Whilst this is partially true, it only holds true to the degree that our mindset is complimentary to the actions and goals of those activities.

Meaningful living is borne out of a correct mindset.

This way of thinking will include how you perceive your self worth, what you believe is possible, your total value and belief system.

From your mindset comes the motivation to do certain things but exclude other options, however tempting they may be or the short-term benefits offered.

Your thoughts will largely dictate your life choices in every area.

Understanding this is therefore a matter of urgency if you feel your life is series of oscillating peaks and troughs, unsure of how to arrive at equilibrium, stability and a sense of being in control.

Check your mind: what do you think of yourself?

Of others? Are you fixated on the negative side of everything, seeing only problems whilst others see opportunities?

I have been there...

My imagination constantly roamed without much intervention from me.

However, such unrestrained imagination is prone to wander in areas that are not beneficial and I have had to battle years of perceived issues that were only in the imagination, not in external reality.

Fretting on things that had an almost zero probability of realisation but nevertheless affected how I looked at life.

I was not responding to life in accordance with the reality around me but reacting to scenarios that had such low probability of occurring and in fact, the majority never happened.

What a terrible waste of energy and time that I cannot reclaim and have had to expend effort to reverse the effects of, in me and others.

So, the key is not an unbridled mindset but a deliberate way of thinking that you control by what you allow into your mind and what you allow to become the dominant thought patterns.

This will mean diligence in what you set your mind on; is this a good thought process for me or is it possibly toxic to my mind?

Test every thought for the potential action it will yield.

Is your current pattern of thinking likely to assist you in getting where you want to be or not?

The mindset is the seedbed and whatever gets planted there grows and bears fruit according to the nature of the seed.

Think about that for a moment and write down the dominant types of seed you are allowing to be planted in your mind.

Perhaps it is time for a change in thinking...

Be positive about everything life throws at you.

It may be bad, but it probably is not as bad as you think it is and it is unlikely to be as bad as something someone else is having to undergo right now.

Practice gratitude at every opportunity.

Life is a gift and when viewed this way, every day holds a moment to practice being thankful because it was gifted to you.

It is a sacred privilege and responsibility, so be grateful in all things.

Do not dwell on what was, only on what can be.

Get your thoughts under control sooner rather than later.

It requires discipline and a ruthless approach to cut out the superfluous thinking we often slip into.

Rather, use your imagination to dream what is possible, to believe all lies within your potential, that life is limitless as you apply yourself to live fuller.

I am not offering a sop of shallow, positive thinking mantras - this is the real thing and if you want to grow as a human being, then begin the work in your mindset today.

As you think, so you are.

Therefore, think what you want to be and act from the identity of who you are transforming into.