AN OBSTINATE CHILD- MY MIND?

I was in a get together this weekend when a friend approached me and started praising my blog. She said she reads it regularly and likes the way it is explained. She complimented me for making it interesting and easy at the same time. During this short conversation she asked me if I know how to calm our mind?  A few other people also interfered our little talk and started sharing their ways to control mind. One said, “I watch a  movie”, the other said “ I call a friend” someone said “I go the gym”, “listen to my favorite album”, some said they prefer shopping. Listening all the answers I simply smiled because I did the same a decade back. Of course we exchanged some thoughts and I shared my experiences on the topic. While driving back home I got eager to jump on my blog to share this question with all my readers.

How to control our mind?

As many of us, I also use to  divert my mind for a short period of time to get rid of the situation. Do something  relaxing, detour my thoughts into another direction and feel content. I often use to procrastinate the situation as long as possible thinking  it will get resolved on its own. Blocking it on my mind, keeping reality at a distance and faking satisfaction of not facing it. Practicing same old traits of watching a movie, going shopping, going on a long drive while listening to my favorite album, calling mom and pouring my stress upon her.

Despite of these various detours,the mind would come back to its problem. No barriers, no shortcuts, no procrastination would stop me from thinking what was going on my mind. One day when I read that “your mind is like a child”, I  remembered my CD Psychology, class in which the whole chapter was dedicated to how brain is the most easily molded plastic organ. It is so pliable, that you can bend it any way you want. Suddenly it struck me, it is the mind/ thoughts one is talking about and not the brain. Brain is  just an organ where this immense energy resides which runs my whole body. This energy which is ‘I the soul’, and mind is my thought process. The brain is a flexible organ but it's my mind which is unstoppable.That is why we hear idioms/phrases like ‘mind is a reinless horse’, or ‘mind is crazy’, or ‘mind is faster than lighting’.

Can we control this obstinate child? This reinless horse? This crazy mind? Answer ?

YES! We can. Just like we ask a child to stop disturbing us we can ask our mind to stop bothering us. Saying firmly and then putting your thoughts into another direction. It is  so simple, doable and effective. It needs practice. Here is an example.

One night around 11pm  I wanted to eat a bowl of ice cream , this desire was so intense that it kept bugging me off and on. Twice I went in the kitchen and checked the freezer, no ice cream. I grabbed a cookie gobbled it down in no minutes, substituting  it for ice cream but to no avail. The desire of ice cream grew louder and louder. Let me remind you fall has started and nights are getting nippy but my mind doesn't keep a track of the weather. I got back in the bed tried reading, but it seemed the icecream was calling me loud and clear. I closed the book on my pajamas I wore my jacket got my car keys and left for the garage to buy ice cream. My spouse called asking where am I heading for?

I returned to my bed, closed my eyes for one minute. Then said to myself “ I am okay without eating icecream”. This I said for more than 5 minutes to myself and later I  added I need to sleep. In no time I slept, and next morning the desire to eat ice cream had completely vanished.

Moral of the example, mind is like a child who can be disciplined with right knowledge, firm words and determined thoughts.

Post Views : 60