“The truth is that the mind is an excellent servant, but a terrible master.” – Anderson, Gillian and Jennifer Nadel, authors of We: A Manifesto for Women Everywhere.
Our minds are powerful tools in helping us solve problems, develop intuition and awareness of our environment, figure out what foods our bodies are needing or not needing, when to relax, and when to learn more. Our minds work for us, as our servant, by figuring out which route to take to the beach, how much time we have to cook a healthy meal before our weSPARK workshop, even what clothes (or no clothes) are suitable for the weather. Our beautiful minds have been used to save millions of lives, make discoveries from the ocean floor to outer space, help put sound to Stephen Hawking’s words, create artificial hearts, and allow people to work from home, typing up blogs like these in order to teach and give love to the world.
Imagine if all the minds that helped create a more safe and secure world were dominated by an emotional mind, caught up in negative thoughts, telling them they are “failures”? What if they allowed the fear of what people thought of them to dull their sharpest tool? Who or what is in control?
Our minds are very easily capable of placing fear at the forefront. This is a natural and normal way to protect yourself in order to help you survive. It’s a defense mechanism. However, giving enough energy to the negative thoughts that come up may in fact destroy any opportunity you have to making a change in your life or every other life you touch. Thinking on the darker side of the spectrum may cancel out your most remarkable discoveries. You have a choice in how you channel your energy and focus, and it’s not impossible to switch the gears from negatively mastering your needs to positively serving your needs. In other words, you can make your mind work for you rather than completely control you. Use it as the tool it loves to be, like a faithful puppy wanting to please you in return for love and fulfillment.
3 Ways to Sharpen Your Tool
To maintain a positive outlook, create momentum toward your goals, and remain sharp throughout your years, you can practice the following activities:
- Exercise. Sometimes movement can be intimidating, rather, fearful because of the thoughts we create; “I worked so hard today, but I know I have to workout. Gee, well, Monday is a better day to start… I need to relax right now. Yeah, I’ll start Monday.” That’s not a servant mind. A servant mind will figure out a solution to get you moving, to work for your body. For me that means doing what I love; what is fun and challenging. Learning how to play tennis. Dancing in a pool. Walking my excited dog at sunset. Backpacking or hiking. I have never owned a gym membership because it puts me on a path of resistance, but that’s me. Figure out a way for YOU to not resist movement.
- Add vitamins and minerals. I will not tell you what to take away from your diet but I will suggest what you can gain. The thought of abundance is crucial to creating a more positive mind. It makes us very happy to have more food! Try adding fruits and vegetables into a blender (with total fiber included), mixed with room temp coconut water. Throw in some chia seeds and cacao powder – anything goes! Just make sure you enjoy it. Good eating has a tremendous affect on our cellular levels, actually shaping the way we look and especially how we feel. Improve your mood and happy mind by eating more of Nature!
- Get creative. Puzzles and artwork, especially photography and fictional writing, separate you from the many stressing thoughts that try to creep in. Within the first second of starting a creative project you will find yourself figuring out solutions, focused, and completely channeled in the present moment. A spark of joy will also fill your heart chakra, meaning that your mind is serving your soul with a powerful release of good-feeling chemicals. Now that’s a great team!
In conclusion, ask yourself this one question: who is the CEO of your life and who is the employee, your soul or your mind?
by Meagan Couto
Want to find out more about Meagan? Be sure to follow her on Instagram and Facebook to receive daily self-care and wellness tips! weSPARK Cancer Support Center is located in Los Angeles and offers completely FREE programs, workshops, classes and individual therapies to cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones. Remember to take a look at our monthly program schedule for more information about the services we offer.
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