What is the one thing that determines, more than anything else, the quality of your life? 
 
Some people say, "You are what you eat," but it might be more appropriate to say, "You are what you think." Now, this is not really "new" news. This is one of the great universal truths, handed down over the centuries by poets and philosophers and by almost every great religious leader the world has ever known. 
 
We move toward and become like what we think about, and our present thoughts, more than anything else, determine our future. So it is important to learn to control your thoughts. First, you need to learn how to listen to you - a skill you can learn - to really understand what you are thinking about. If you can do that, you'll be taking control of your life as well. 
 
And how do you control your thoughts? Well, once you learn to monitor yourself by listening to the stream of inner messages that precede your emotions then you ask yourself if some of these thoughts are other people's ideas that may not really be true - for you.
 
Look for distortions, exaggerations, and other misrepresentations, and deliberately correct them - on the spot - to a more realistic viewpoint. Finally, you choose to put the best possible slant on every situation, every event, and every occurrence.
 
Your present thoughts do determine your future, so when you consistently expect the best, you tend to get it!