What you dwell on you dwell in

 One of my friends is a regular church goer. She came home from church the other day and shared the topic of that week's sermon with me.

What you dwell on you dwell in

I love this as a quote. As a Humanist, I can relate.  What you dwell on you dwell in. 

One of the reasons I choose positivity is not because I have some sick need to be positive. It's more that I am aware that what I choose, impacts my mental health.

Much like the social media algorithms. I have a great social media feed. Facebook for instance is always feeding me interesting music and dances. Why? Because I interact with posts that focus on music, movies and dance.  What I focus on, is what I get.

If I focused on things that made me outraged, I would be fed things that would make me outraged. There is nothing wrong with outrage. I get outraged all the time.  It's just that - I would rather NOT be outraged. I am aware that outrage can be manufactured and IS manufactured and I would rather reserve my outrage for things that truly warrant it - like Human Rights abuses.

I've had this approach my whole life. I remember when I was a teen and some of my friends had gotten into punk and they had gotten really angry. I sat down one time to listen to the music and it was really angry. I could see why they had become angry.  I do understand righteous anger.  There is a place for that. But if I have a choice, and I do, why would I choose to be angry?

What you dwell on you dwell in. 

And yes, I understand saying that is a form of priviledged. But this is about balance in your life.  I have been a social activist my entire life. I have attended protests and been an organizer for as long as I have memories of these things. I am, at heart, a political animal. I just choose to engage with love and joy in my heart. I refuse to allow the hate and injustice in the world to make me bitter and angry.

Finding and looking for joy is an activist skill. One of my favorite quotes is from Camus - Return to Tipasa.

"For violence and hatred dry up the heart itself; the long fight for justice exhausts the love that nevertheless gave birth to it. In the clamor in which we live, love is impossible and justice does not suffice ... But in order to keep justice from shriveling up ... one must keep intact in oneself a freshness, a cool wellspring of joy, love the day that escapes injustice, and return to combat having won that light." 

After all, what are we fight for, if not to help people find happiness. That is our right as humans. Fight for your happiness, by finding happiness. 

For those that have mental health issues, take it seriously. There is help for you. Happiness is a state that is easier for some just based on biology. But certainly, you can aim to suffer slightly less. And that is worth it.