Einstein Unravels Life’s Big Mysteries

Albert Einstein was one of the most fascinating minds of the twentieth century — not only because he was a brilliant physicist, but because he seemed to have a profound understanding of people, life, and the nature of the universe.

He said a lot of insightful things in his life, but my favorite Einstein quote is this one:

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”

–Albert Einstein

There are a lot of ways to interpret that, but here are some possibilities to consider:

• There really IS no objective reality, because everyone views the world through the lens of their own personal experiences, self perception, and ever-changing mood.
• Our reality is pretty much what we make it.
• Since what we focus on tends to expand, we have the ability to mold, shape, and create your own reality.
• Our reality is basically a reflection of our expectations, self image, and attitude.
• Don’t believe everything you hear, read, and think. Distortions of truth are everywhere — on the Internet, in social media, and in our own minds.
• Our subconscious mind, along with the thousands of beliefs we’ve adopted during our lives, is our ever-present advisor — for better or worse.

Good News about Reality

The good news is that you can reprogram your subconscious to do a better job of serving your needs, your goals, and your best interest. You can accomplish that through the use of a number of techniques including the following:

• positive affirmations
• visualization
• meditation
• present moment awareness
• journaling
• practicing gratitude
• setting daily intentions
• immersing yourself in positive thoughts, ideas, books, videos, seminars, podcasts, groups, relationships, and discussions

We are the Product of Our Thoughts and Habits

I believe that part of the illusion Einstein was referring to is the fact that our thoughts seem to reflect reality. As most philosophers and spiritual thinkers will tell you, the reverse is actually true:

Reality is a reflection of your thoughts, beliefs, expectations, life experiences, habits, self perception, the way other people treat you, AND the way you treat yourself.

Two authors and thought-leaders who first changed my perspective on reality were Napoleon Hill and Wayne Dyer. Through his classic personal development book “Think and Grow Rich,” Napoleon Hill introduced me to the concept that “Thoughts are things.”

Through his various writings, author and psychologist Wayne Dyer helped me realize two important things about reality:

• You don’t get what you want, you get what you ARE.
• When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Sometimes it almost seems like magic, but we can change the way our reality feels and manifests by paying attention to and regulating our thoughts.

Stay tuned to this blog for more motivational quotes, ideas, and strategies.

–Joel