Something said this morning in an AA meeting triggered a memory in me—a quote I’d come across during my spiritual seeking: “The mind is everything. What you think, you become.” It’s widely attributed to the Buddha and, on first hearing it, it struck a chord. As a kid, I used to believe I had superpowers, so this quote instantly made my inner child perk up. I thought, “Could this be true? Could I actually think myself into something more?” Of course, not in the Marvel superhero sense—but in a deeper, more internal way. Still, the idea intrigued me enough to look into it further.

Interestingly, when I did a bit of research, I found that this exact phrase isn’t directly found in any authentic Buddhist scriptures. Like many popular spiritual quotes, it’s a paraphrased sentiment made to fit neatly on a bumper sticker or a Buddha meme on Instagram. But as I dug deeper, what I discovered was even more powerful. The Dhammapada, one of the earliest collections of the Buddha’s sayings, shares a message with much more depth and clarity. In verses 1 and 2, it states:

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts; it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage… If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.”

This ancient wisdom paints a clear picture of the mind’s influence. It’s not just about magical thinking—it’s about the repeated patterns of thought and intention that shape our character, our actions, and ultimately our lives. The Buddha also spoke of “two modes of thinking”—one leading toward suffering and the other toward liberation—highlighting how the thoughts we habitually dwell on carve the path our minds follow. So while the punchy quote might not be directly scriptural, its essence is absolutely aligned with Buddhist thought: we shape our reality with the contents of our mind.

Reflecting on this now, I see how true it has become in my own life. There was a time when my mind was locked down, a prisoner of denial, fear, and addiction. My only form of seeking was for the next drink, the next escape. I mocked religion, scoured sacred texts only to argue with my mum’s beliefs, trying to disprove her version of God. I used to think every religion was just another “God Box” trying to control people. My alcoholic mind found comfort in rejecting all of them. I thought I was cursed, destined to fail, and that I wasn’t good enough. And the painful truth is: because I thought that way, that’s exactly what my life became.

But today, things have changed. I wake with gratitude. I read the Just For Today card each morning and genuinely try to live by it. I try to be kind, to be present, to be useful to the people around me. Most importantly, I no longer see God through the narrow lens of denomination or dogma. My God isn’t confined to a church, a religion, or a doctrine—they’re in everything and everyone, everywhere and nowhere, all at once. Looking back, I can see how my thoughts shaped my world. When I thought I was doomed, I lived a doomed life. Now I think I am worthy of love, growth, and connection—and those things are gradually unfolding in my life. It’s a strange kind of power, isn’t it? The idea that we can, through daily practice and conscious thought, shape the quality of our lives. It’s not as flashy as the superpowers I imagined as a child—but in a way, it’s even more profound. The mind really is everything. We truly do become what we think. But unfortunately, I haven’t got my superpowers yet—or have I? 🤔

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The Mind is the Path, Not the Destination

Something stirred in me this morning,
a memory,
not loud,
but deep.
A voice in the meeting opened a door,
and there it was:
The mind is everything. What you think, you become.

As a child,
I believed I could fly.
I believed I could disappear.
I believed I could change the world
just by thinking differently.

And I was right.
But not in the way I thought.

I searched for the quote
like a man seeking gold in a riverbed,
what I found was water.
But water,
not gold,
is what sustains.

The Buddha's words,
not polished for print,
not flattened into slogan,
were deeper:
What we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts, we make the world.

I used to think
my mind was a curse.
A place of noise,
denial,
rage,
and addiction.

I thought I was unlovable,
so I became hard to love.
I thought I was broken,
so I broke things.
I thought God was a prison,
so I locked myself away.

But thoughts are seeds.
And seeds,
even buried in darkness,
reach for the light.

Today I wake with a small prayer,
not shouted,
not desperate—
just enough to open the day.

I read words written
by those who have walked through fire,
and listen to the silence
between their lines.

I try not to grasp at God.
They are not a statue,
not a sermon,
not a name.

They are
the breath between thoughts,
the stillness behind the noise,
the hand reaching back
when I finally let go.

Now,
when I think I am worthy,
I do things that honour worth.
When I think I can heal,
I begin to mend.
When I think love is possible,
I see it everywhere.

The child in me
still longs for superpowers.
But maybe I have them,
in the quiet power to choose,
again and again,
a gentler thought.

The ox follows the path.
The wheel follows the ox.
And my life,
slow and deliberate,
follows the shape
of my mind.

So I guard it,
not with fear,
but with reverence.

Because what I think,
I become.
And I am becoming
free.