As much as psychology itself, Buddhism is dedicated to psychological well being, and Buddha has been referred to as the first psychologist.  So much so, Robert Thurman (the first ordained Tibetan Buddhist Monk from the United States)  often refers to “Dr. Buddha” in many of his writings and lectures. Dr. Buddha has been teaching the transformative nature of thought for over 2,500 years.  The following quotes about the power of thought are from philosophers, Buddhist monks, preeminent psychologists, and highly influential thinkers.

“Whenever we think, we are actually practicing brain chemistry.  So when you’re feeling happy for example, that is not simply an internal state of euphoria.  It has biological consequences.  Happiness causes the secretion of things like serotonin, dopamine, opiates, oxytocin, that not only make you feel happy because these chemicals are antidepressants, but they also build your self-esteem and your confidence.”  Deepak Chopra

“Our life is what our thoughts make it.”   -Marcus Aurelius

“The key to emotional enlightenment is the knowledge that only your thoughts can affect your moods”    – David D. Burns, M.D., Feeling Good

“Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.”    -Buddha

“A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.”   -James Allen

“What we call the world for us is the way we experience it. And it is the mind that translates outer circumstances into happiness or misery. We are born with the potential. Our mind can be our best friend and our worst enemy. It depends what we do with our mind.”    -Matthieu Ricard

“Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draws it. Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves. ”    -Buddha

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”  Book of Proverbs (chapter 23 verse 7)

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.”  -Buddha

“It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.”    -Dale Carnegie

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.”   -William James

“The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it’s a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free.” -Charles Swindoll

“You_are_what_you_think.”   -Unknown

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” -Buddha

“Remember happiness doesn’t depend on who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think.”  -Dale Carnegie

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”  William  Shakespeare, Hamlet