Rather than being a slave of the mind, seek instead to regulate it back into the helper it is meant to be.
“Enlightenment is a state of freedom not only from the counterproductive emotions driving cyclic existence but also from the predispositions established in the mind by those afflictive emotions.” ~Dalai Lama~
What you allow to repeat in your mind slowly becomes a truth that you manage to in your daily life. For example: if one thinks that no one appreciates them, this mindset eventually creates a filter through which every experience is interpreted. Even when someone expresses appreciation or kindness, it will be overlooked or viewed with suspicion by the person who is enslaved by their own mind and beliefs.
As we become more aware of our own limiting thought patterns, we can consciously choose to shine the light of consciousness upon them. The ego-generated negativity can only function well in the dark; therefore, your attention and positive choices will shift the energy. Affirmative statements, when repeated consistently, create new experiences. The mind will, at first, attempt to sabotage because its tendency is to embrace the known and fear the unknown – even when the unknown is a life of peacefulness, balance and joy.
You can create the life of your dreams and it begins now, in this moment. Keep your thoughts aligned with what you wish to experience. Be kind to yourself and know that when you change your thoughts, you can change your life.