"It's mind over matter." "Do you mind?" "Make up your mind!" "Oh, never mind..." Just think about how frequently "mind" enters our daily conversations. Our minds are an integral part of our three-part being: Mind, Body and Spirit. We often associate mind with our head, thought, and logic. But despite the form in which we imagine our minds to take, let's take a closer look at a few of the different roles our minds play. You mind?
The mind is an amazing and complex teacher. It re-minds us when we’ve forgotten facts or figures and helps us through a challenging intellectual conundrum, whether it’s an academic test or the birthdays of our family members. It causes us to think when we need to make a decision, and uses our previous experiences as a references in order to make a sound decision. It keeps a record of everything we’ve ever thought, said, and done, giving us the gift of contrast (“been there; done that”). It sends us signals that something might be awry and we need to pay attention to it. It is the reflective and supportive adviser – helping us weigh the pros and cons from changing our internet service provider to changing our views about the importance of diet and exercise. It’s with us every day, every hour, every minute, and doesn’t like to be shut off. But once in a while it will allow us to be out of it – maybe for a minute, an hour, or a day – and then when we reunite it's like plugging back in and booting-up.
The mind is an amazing and complex creature. It creeps around and waits for the opportunity to jump out and scare us, or when we’re not looking it sneaks over and steals the cookie off our plate. It walks around with a mirror and tries to make us look into it so it can tease and ridicule us about our appearance, our attitudes, or our behaviors. It is the constant critic carrying around a big fat history book of everything we’ve ever thought, said, and done – and then takes those ideas, words, and actions - twists them, misinterprets them, and uses them against us like a court of law where we are guilty until proven innocent. It has a pocket voice recorder and plays back every negative word that every person has said to us that “sticks” like those little thorn bristles we get all over our socks when we run through a dry field (damn things are always hard to pull off and they poke you. Ouch!) It keeps us up at night, wakes us up with a headache in the morning, and just won’t stop running. And we’re tired of chasing it. Sometimes we’d rather be without it. It controls our manners when we’ve been scolded and is told to "never be” when something has been disregarded. It makes us feel crazy and out of control. It causes us to spiral downward.
The mind is an amazing and complex teacher. It re-minds us when we’ve forgotten facts or figures and helps us through a challenging intellectual conundrum, whether it’s an academic test or the birthdays of our family members. It causes us to think when we need to make a decision, and uses our previous experiences as a references in order to make a sound decision. It keeps a record of everything we’ve ever thought, said, and done, giving us the gift of contrast (“been there; done that”). It sends us signals that something might be awry and we need to pay attention to it. It is the reflective and supportive adviser – helping us weigh the pros and cons from changing our internet service provider to changing our views about the importance of diet and exercise. It’s with us every day, every hour, every minute, and doesn’t like to be shut off. But once in a while it will allow us to be out of it – maybe for a minute, an hour, or a day – and then when we reunite it's like plugging back in and booting-up.
The mind is an amazing and complex creature. It creeps around and waits for the opportunity to jump out and scare us, or when we’re not looking it sneaks over and steals the cookie off our plate. It walks around with a mirror and tries to make us look into it so it can tease and ridicule us about our appearance, our attitudes, or our behaviors. It is the constant critic carrying around a big fat history book of everything we’ve ever thought, said, and done – and then takes those ideas, words, and actions - twists them, misinterprets them, and uses them against us like a court of law where we are guilty until proven innocent. It has a pocket voice recorder and plays back every negative word that every person has said to us that “sticks” like those little thorn bristles we get all over our socks when we run through a dry field (damn things are always hard to pull off and they poke you. Ouch!) It keeps us up at night, wakes us up with a headache in the morning, and just won’t stop running. And we’re tired of chasing it. Sometimes we’d rather be without it. It controls our manners when we’ve been scolded and is told to "never be” when something has been disregarded. It makes us feel crazy and out of control. It causes us to spiral downward.
The mind is an amazing and complex companion. It is there when we need to remember where we parked the car in the stadium parking lot, or re-minds us who we really are if we forget. It’s there to provide a history of everything we’ve ever thought, said, and done, and re-minds us about our progress and how far we’ve come. It plays back the recordings of anyone who’s ever thanked us, praised us, or shouted our name as we raced toward the finish line. It allows us to take a moment to pause and reflect upon a fond memory triggered by a beautiful song or the smell of fresh-baked cookies. It’s there to help us stay calm amidst a crisis, or speak a kind word to a friend in need. It’s our constant friend, confidant, and partner. And it always answers when we call. It’s there to motivate, encourage, and inspire us, and becomes the coach urging us to hang in there and just keep swimming. It reminds us that it’s okay to make mistakes, and it forgives us every time – no exception. It loves and accepts us as we are. It is our best friend and our family. It holds us when we are alone and reminds us that everything will be okay.
Question: Is your mind the Teacher, Creature or Companion today? Depending on the situation it could be one, two, or all three – but the most important fact is that it’s our choice. We are not a part of our minds; our minds are a part of us. And we have been given the power to choose how our minds work for and with us. When our minds are working for us in a positive and supportive way, we can better connect with our bodies and spirits to bring more alignment and consistency to our lives. That’s the secret to finding more balance!
Today, become aware of your thoughts, the role of your mind, and remember you have the power of choice. Then, choose wisely… for it is, truly, “all in your mind”.
Namaste,
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