Did your county fair have a “Whac-A-Mole” game in the arcade? A typical Whac-A-Mole consists of a large, waist-level cabinet with holes in its top and a large mallet. Each hole contains a single “mole” and the machinery necessary to move it up and down. Once the game starts, the moles will begin to pop up from their holes at random. The object of the game is to force the individual moles back into their holes by hitting them directly on the head with the mallet, thereby adding to the player’s score.

Trouble is: the moles don’t stay whacked. They just keep popping up for another whack!

Sometimes I think my life is like that. I work so hard to “even out” or fix the rough spots of my life—only to have them surface again and again.

That’s when I remember that the “Whac-A-Mole” machinery is on the inside. No amount of whacking on the outside really makes a difference. The interior machinery dictates when, how often and where a new mole will pop up.

It’s a reminder to look at what’s inside me if I want to make changes or to claim a better life. Fixing things on the outside is temporary. It’s inside where I will find the thoughts, ideas, actions, beliefs and opinions that are causing my own particular “moles” to pop up again and again.

This requires some effort, of course. It’s not always easy to identify the ways of thinking that are producing your own particular troubles to repeatedly pop up. One place to start is with negative thinking. Generally negative experiences are produced by negative thoughts and beliefs:

• Negative thoughts about people will produce negative relationship issues
• Negative thoughts about work and bosses will produce an unwelcome experience on the job
• Negative beliefs about money or rich people will create lack or other money problems

The more negative our thinking, the more negative our world becomes.

When we reverse or change our thinking, the Whac-A-Mole machinery in our heads will stop or slow down. When we begin to visualize our job as helpful and pleasant, it will begin to calm down. When we start praising our friends and family, the relationships will improve.

It may not be easy in the beginning. Finding the bright spot in a dark situation can be challenging. It will require planning and intentional thinking to re-wire your own mind a bit.

Thankfully, you’ll start to see the difference almost immediately. Fewer “moles” will pop up. You’ll begin to see the relationship between your thinking patterns and your life. It will begin to be easier to ignore the moles or deal with them with minimal effort.

You’ll begin to see the rest of the arcade of Life more clearly. You’ll begin to see the many existing possibilities of Love, Light and laughter once you stop playing Whac-A-Mole.