Can your mind be like an enemy? Fighting you today and having you looking over your shoulder weary of the next attack tomorrow? YES! The thing with the mind is that it keeps record of all the things we acknowledge and all those we intentionally don’t, and because of that, the information we retain can and will, fight against us. How? Well, ever had a thought go through your mind where you had to literally shake yourself out of it, then ask why in the world would you think of something like that? The mind is a powerful tool, both a blessing and a curse.
Can your mind be like an enemy? Fighting you today and having you looking over your shoulder weary of the next attack tomorrow? YES! The thing with the mind is that it keeps record of all the things we acknowledge and all those we intentionally don’t, and because of that, the information we retain can and will, fight against us. How? Well, ever had a thought go through your mind where you had to literally shake yourself out of it, then ask why in the world would you think of something like that? The mind is a powerful tool, both a blessing and a curse.
I don’t want to sound like some sort of Life Coach, giving you some far-fetched “how to live your life” idea, because the truth is I have had days, situations and times when my own thoughts were my worst enemy, telling me things so foul in my own voice it sounded like my own words, as if I was telling myself all these things, things I didn’t even know! During all this, all you can wonder is, how do you outrun an enemy you carry on your back? How do you calm the voices, the voices that sound like your own?
The mind doesn’t rest, so whether you are conscious or unconscious, it continues to work. Even in your sleep, the things that preoccupy your mind take centre stage, in an environment you cannot control, unless you wake up. So how do you fight? This is such a passion topic for me because for everything we do, our mind has to first co-sign the action. If you want to ask someone out, you think about the best way of going around, if you consider it the best thing to do. If you want to start a project, your mind has to stand in as your cheerleader, encouraging you to give things a go. So what do you do, when your ‘once upon a time’ cheerleader is threatening to destroy you by driving you insane?
This has led me to believe that on the quest to silence the voices; many have resorted to substance abuse. The drugs, alcohol smothes the relenting enemy, almost to the point of completely eradicating it, but the high is only temporary, so in no time the drugs are taken again and again and again, a cycle that is taking over our brothers and sisters in the townships. Imagine the pressure they get from the community, and the pressure they get from themselves, it’s a lethal combination, one I feel is single-handedly the cause of substance abuse in our communities. Substance abuse is not the only issue, but our own thoughts can lead to a devastating drop in self-esteem, a rise in panic attacks, heart problems, just to name a few. I personally suffered from anxiety attacks a few years back when I found myself going through a study transition. I went from being excitedly convinced that I was doing the right thing, to being scared and so unsure, feeling like nobody else understood my plight. Because of this, I was always on edge, hardly spoke, suffered from the pins and needles sensation in the palm of my hands, comfort ate, all the while my mind was telling me, in my own voice “I’m fucked”, and because it sounded like I was telling myself all this, I believed it, dreamt it, and lived it. I was in a bad space for a while, but thank God today I’m in a far, FAR better place.
All I’m tying to say is, if we want to see our communities transition from where they are today, to the best possible place, you know what, let me narrow all this down a bit for relatability sake, if you want to be better, feel better and do better, check your thoughts. Be careful of the things that go on all willy-nilly in your mind, it’s not just nonsense, it’s dangerous, and it has the potential to consume you.
How do you fight this enemy you ask?
1. NEVER ever open your mouth to repeat all the foul things your mind is telling you, it’s not true, and once you verbalize it you are calling it into being, manifesting, for you to live it.
2. Fight fire with fire. For every bad thought, counter that with a good memory, not a made up thought, no, a memory that makes you feel good, to remind you of better days, that will help you hold on and dissolve all the created ways your mind may be trying to talk you out of expecting positive results for once. If you are fighting a war against yourself, hold on, it’s going to be alright. They are your thoughts; manage them, because you can.
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