Who would have thought Sir Isaac Newton could help you find happiness in your life? Before we reveal that, let’s first review his first law of motion as described in www.physics4kids.com.
First Law
The first law says that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion, with the same direction and speed. Motion (or lack of motion) cannot change without an external force acting. If nothing is happening to you, and nothing does happen, you will never go anywhere. If you’re going in a specific direction, unless something happens to you, you will always go in that direction. Forever.
Here’s another take on Newton’s first law.
What if that external ‘force’ is not a physical force? What if that force comes from within? If we continue to do the same things over and over again and expect a different outcome, that’s the definition of insanity. By changing the way we think about someone or something, this then becomes the force that will help us change direction in our lives. So another way to look at this law is: a body in motion (someone’s life) will remain in motion in the same direction unless it is acted upon by a change in thought. This holds true because our thoughts drive our feelings that drive our actions.
Yet another way this first law applies is without anything physical. Our thoughts stay ‘in motion’ (unconscious thinking) until acted upon by a force, namely a new thought. As it says from the quote above, “If you’re going in a specific direction, unless something happens to you, you will always go in that direction. Forever.” Not only is this true in our external world but it also applies to our internal world. If we continue to think the same thoughts about ourselves or others, we will continue down that path. By breaking the cycle of thinking that doesn’t serve us well, we free ourselves to change the direction of our lives and to grow. By letting go of hatred, shame, guilt, prejudice etc, we can change the direction of our lives and that will allow us to have more capacity for love and growth.
The great part of it is that we don’t need an outside force (someone else) to change our thoughts. We have the capability to change how we think and how we see the world without needing someone else to do it for us. By being mindful and taking time to examine our thoughts through meditation, prayer, journaling or even having someone to challenge our current thoughts, we have the power to become that life changing force. Grant it, there will be people who come into our lives who will impact us but each of us is the one responsible for being open and allowing that influence to have an impact. As Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see in the world.” We have the power within us to be that change, to be that “external force” to change our direction and the direction of the world simply by changing the way we think. Our thoughts drive our feelings that drive our actions.
How can you use this version of Newton’s First Law to set the direction you want to be going?