Develop A Habit Of Happiness

Our brain possesses a fascinating function known as the “reticular activating system.” It’s a function through which our minds eliminate the thoughts and the impulses deemed unnecessary. For instance, years ago, my sister Lisa lived in a townhome right beside the railroad tracks. Two or three times a night, a train rumbled by, loudly sounding its whistle as it passed her window. That train literally shook that place. When Lisa first moved in, the train awakened her no matter how deeply she was sleeping. But after living there for several weeks, an amazing thing happened. Those trains could pass by in the middle of the night, and Lisa would hardly even notice. Several months later, Lisa was able to sleep all through the night.

One time, I stayed at her house, and that train came by in the middle of the night. I think I jumped three feet off the bed. It sounded like the world was coming to an end.

The next morning, I asked Lisa, “How do you sleep here with that train going by in the night?”

“What train?” she asked.

The reticular activating system in her mind processed the sound of the train going by and allowed her to sleep right through it.

In a similar manner, we can train our minds in such a positive fashion that when negative, discouraging thoughts come, they won’t affect us anymore. When that thought of fear comes, learn to tune it out as Lisa did. Or that depressing thought of “It’s going to be a lousy day”—tune it out. If you’ll keep it up, before long, your mind’s reticular activating system says, “He doesn’t need this information. She’s not paying attention. Don’t even send the thought of fear or worry.” Certainly, that is an oversimplification of the mental process, but just as Lisa was able to tune out the sounds of that train, I believe we can tune out negative messages. We can tune in to thoughts of joy, peace, faith, hope, and victory, as we learn to turn around negatives and stamp everything positive.