4 Ways to Engage Your Mind the Right Way.

 

4 Ways to Engage Your Mind the Right Way.

'You are what you think you are...'

One of the most powerful statements or nudges that I have ever heard is 'You are what you think you are'. Is that not powerful? That means whatever you conceive in your mind is who you are or what you will become. Therefore, you must be careful of the things that you allow to flow through your mind. Let us take a look at the way an insane or a mentally disordered person thinks. According to a philosophy paper I read a long time ago, a mad man is the most beautifully dressed person in his own world. That is how he thinks. Every other person is not properly dressed. That means, in his world, according to the perception of his mind, he is sane and every other person is mad. Likewise, to you, that man is mad because he does not act or do what everyone else does. His conduct is parallel to others. But can there be something that is beyond these two distinct worlds - the mad man and your world? Definitely, there is. 

Everyone lives on this same earth but not in the same world. That means, there is a kind of world that exists through everyone's minds. It may interest you to know that even though you live in the same apartment with your family, you are likely to all exist in different worlds, depending on who and what controls your thoughts.

Do you ever wonder what goes on in the mind of a baby or an infant? Perhaps, 'it' does not think? Or does 'it' just act on stimuli? While it may be challenging to establish the truth condition of the thinking ability of an infant, it is indeed a known fact that you are thinking as you are right now. The fact that you are reading this with the ability to understand the letters is a factor that your thinking faculty is still active. The difference between you and an infant is that you have the power (sort of) to control how you think and what you think. Your internal phenomenon can still control the external stimuli or conversely.

There are 1001 things to think about in the globe right now. Almost every second, there is a news of something terrifying happening, especially if you are 'fortunate' to be a Nigerian. Different events contribute to the things that run through your mind. Sometimes, some thoughts will invade your mind without your consent. Then you will begin to evacuate them if you do not find them interesting. However, there is a question to ask yourself now, at what point does a thought seem important to you? Have you ever thought about that? Maybe you should figure that out.

 

 

Here are the four proven ways to engage your mind the right way.

 

1. Be a purpose driven person: One of the ways to know whether a thought is important to you is to figure out whether it helps you advance towards your essence in life. Does it help you become who you are destined to be? Perhaps, I need to further ask you, have you figured out your purpose? If you will ever think the right way, it will be powered by what you have discovered about yourself and your reason for living. Most of those who gave up in life (suiciders) did not get to that point by accident, it is a result of a journey that at a point, could not see the reason to live again, and that was caused by the things they think about. Your thoughts are powered by your vision and revelation. If it is blurry, your thoughts might not be clear enough to guide you through to the end. Hence, you must discover the purpose through which you live for.
2. Do not always allow your environment to control you: While you might have discovered a purpose to live for, you must also know that you cannot always indulge in everything that happens around you, whereby you want to think of it. Some things are distractions to your focus.  If you have to always give your time to think through everything that happens around you, you might end up in a twist. If you want to think the better way, try not to accommodate everything that seems so important.
3. Control the content you are exposed to: We are in a computer mediated age. Everything is at your fingertips. It is so easy for all kinds of content to come by you and before you know it, you are already in the midst of an unplanned thought or situation. To keep your sanity, and if you are the spiritually conscious person as me, I would say, to keep your consecration, control the content you are exposed to. Those contents are powerfully delivered with mind bugling graphics that without a remote control, can keep replaying in your head. I am sure you do not want to imagine how graphic your mind can be, especially when it is exposed to the wrong content.
4. Think the godly way: I have to put this last so that you can know that no matter how disciplined you want to be, if you remove God from the equation of your thoughts, it would be a failure. There is a way God thinks that if you can also imbibe the culture, your mind will be continually refreshed and you will be positively productive. If there is anyone who engages in any socially disturbing act, it is because God was not part of his/her thought. You cannot think like God and not have a spiritual sanity. Your results will be powered from the spiritual realm and you will definitely record good success if your thought is centred around doing everything as God would want you to do it.

 

Matthew 11:29 (KJV)  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 

 

When your thoughts are patterned towards the way of the Lord, there is an assurance of rest. This means rest from the uncertainty of the future, family distress, challenges of life and the power of sin. I want to urge you, determine not to live like a confused being. There is more to live for and with God on your side, you can become that great person you have ever imagined.

 

 

Article by Taiwo Ayodeji is a postgraduate student of the Department of English, University of Lagos. He majors in the field of Discourse Analysis and is also passionate about service to God through men.