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Your body {mind } and spirit; perhaps others would prefer to refer to it as soul. To explain the body and mind, many scholars and great thinkers have naturally turned to science; an explanation of situations we can experience through our five senses, to rationalize the world around us. Hard science based of factual, physical evidence that has been proven, while there are others of us who have turned to a more traditional explanation, via a set of beliefs, to help them further comprehend the human condition, including a strong faith in a supreme being that is the master of the universe; religion. Either way you choose to lean, the statement still remains, that these three faculties are what have been used as an aid to describe the state of humanity for many ages both scientifically and religiously; a way of explaining ourselves, to ourselves. The existence of this trio, that being, the mind, body and spirit, and their importance to one another makes this trio of high importance. It has been said that with a balance of these faculties- the mind body and spirit- an individual can reach a point of peace and calm within themselves, helping that person to weave through life’s leaps and bounds with greater ease and seeming effortlessness, while maintaining a true and authentic sense of self. For instance, yogis and monks choose to live a life away from materialism and focus on centering themselves to connect with their higher selves. They choose walk a completely different path in life and shed all worldly possessions to attaining a better understanding of the human condition, finding answers from within one’s own self, as opposed to without.
The world at large is a place filled with many distractions, at times making it difficult to operate. Regardless, one must continue on with their life and make the best of it, no matter the circumstances. In this piece I will illuminate how by taking care of “The Self,†one may find that balance between the mind, body and spirit. Everything on earth is connected; the beautiful with the ugly and good with the bad. In the following will be a 3 part blog post and we will outline the importance of each entity, how best to maintain each one and in the final post, describe the full connection between the mind, body and spirit (soul).
The Mind
All you need is your mind, and to manage that mind. It is the ability to maneuver an ostentatious matrix within one’s own being which will prove most important; The Self. Each head has its own physical brain that serves as its command center and inner world, like that of no other, which interprets its surrounding world in a different tune than the next brain. Maintaining the mind is among the most important aspects of balancing “The Self,†because it is the area of control for everything inside and out of your known existence. The mind can take you from living in a modest, yet outdated basement, to a comfortable beachfront villa in Nice, France; then you wake up. The mind can also, literally map out steps on how to make a move from that modest, yet outdated place that you need a break from, to a villa in Nice, France; the choice is yours. I am not one for clichés, but I firmly believe in the power of the mind. If you look at any great story, it started in an individual’s mind. As an example, take you waking up this morning; the continuation of the greatest and most important story you have been writing for years. Are you going to give up now? No. That is the power of the mind; simple decisions that connect to one another through time, to finally yield the result of the mind’s choosing. A subtle, however complex simplicity that composes a paradox of daily does and do nots. To master the mind is a never ending process and will last through a person’s lifetime. There is no end to the pursuit of mastering the mind. It is the greatest and only instrument, of which a living being is in need of to survive; the ultimate tool. No human, I believe, has ever mastered the mind of their own.
I have created a formula. This formula was built as a grandfather’s tool box was. Each tool was acquired as time went by. A lump sum was never the way of the tool box. That is neither the path nor way of the toolbox. To neither master the mind or enhance it, but to provide a healthy structure and system of beliefs to maintain and reinforce its own strength. Through discipline, self-control, gratitude, a healthy confidence and belief system, the mind will maintain its strength. The choice is yours. Through the beauty of BeTheDifferenceLLC, I have conjured up a formula which I call, D.S.G.C.B, to help maintain the strength of the mind.
DISCIPLINE- To discipline the mind is to maintain a strict level of self-respect within one’s self. Without respect for “The Self,†a mind cannot uphold its true desires and virtues. Take a week or two, to truly analyze your mind. See where and what it flows, and what it focuses on and I suggest that you to that drift. Remember that your INTENTION combined with your ATTENTION will result in your reality; every time. The mind never stops working. During these few weeks, you may notice things about yourself that you both love, and would rather not change, or there may be some things that you hate and feel the need to improve on. It is all connected. Neither praise, nor come down on yourself. Just let things be and explore your being. By analyzing “The Self†you may find a great deal more about yourself that you never knew, bringing about moments for self-improvement and brief reflection, which will result in positive outcomes inside of you mind.
Take brief notes, daily, to reflect on your day before you go to bed. Write down what you can improve upon to help your mind maintain a stronger discipline. This may sound like another cliché, but TRUST ME, when you feel the results in a few weeks, you’ll say thank you to yourself. Love “The Self.â€
SELF- CONTROL- This point is deeply connected to the last. Discipline and self-control may be synonymous in the sense that they both require the mind to maintain a certain level of responsibility. Self- control is mainly regarding the resistance of external influences that have no true value with respect to your abundance in life.For a widely known example, many individuals choose to drink heavily on weekends with friends to “let loose.†While this may seem, and may actually be fun and exciting in the moment, there is no real benefit to loosing yourself†in a club, or bar or party, just so you can feel numb to your problems and â€escape for the moment.â€
A sense of self- control is making a choice with “The Self†to both go out- and have one drink- or none at all. Through self- control you will develop a habit to enjoy life without any extremities; the freedom is boundless. Abstaining from external vices and muses will keep you aligned with your authentic self. The mind will thank you for your services and reward you with happiness and appreciation through the secretion of a D.O.S.E. of a natural high (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins); natural and happy brain chemicals that are released through moments of satisfaction. Self- control is a small step that will pile on quicker than you can imagine. Control “The Self.â€
GRATITUDE- Gratitude is the best attitude. The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Each variable of the D.S.G.C.B. formula for maintaining “The Self†as best as possible is absolutely intentional. There will be days in which one must put forth a concerted effort to feel a certain way on purpose. Intentionally counting your blessings or all of the valuable things in your life will not only produce a â€feel good good€ feeling, but remind yourself that you are ok and have a good life. Many times in life, we have grand ideas and goals that we have a strong desire in accomplish, but certain events get in the way.
Maybe you had a goal of winning a state championship in your sport, but got injured in the last game of the regular season. This is a great example of an individual who worked hard, not only all season, but up until the point of injury. In no way, shape or form is it easy for that person to give in and just wake up one day, to be a gratuitous person, but the first day in the physical recovery process is also the first day of the mental recovery as well. All of the anger, frustration and sadness will consume the mind of that athlete is they do no mind the business of their mind. Monitoring their own thoughts will help them along the way.
This hypothetical example is a great one because it leaves the athlete with nothing. They are left with a broken body and spirit. It is the mind’s choice to keep moving forward and work towards a recovery. With a strong mind and gratuitous thinking, or counting their blessings, there can be no failure, only valuable lessons to be learned. Gratitude is great.
CONFIDENCE- To have confidence is to hold a key; a very special and unique key that first unlocks the doors to your inner world, only to express that world towards the outer world. Holding this confidence key will lead you in the direction of your choosing with poise and assurance. Again, intentionally making a decision to craft a great confidence within one’s self is as a house of bricks, built over a series of days, or even years. Remember, your house is your house and need not be compared to the next. No one individual has the same bricks as you. The time in which your house of bricks is built has no limit, other than that of which the mind sets in place. This brick house of confidence is for “The Self.†Build intentionally and with an unwavering focus by stepping out of your comfort zone once a day. This will help you grow, in that you will be exposed to situations that you would have never have even thought of before. The pursuit of new experiences is a part of life I believe is necessary to grow and to maintain the mind’s dexterity. Add, or subtract, bricks to your house of confidence, daily.
BELIEF- There are moments in which we will lose faith, or at the least our faith will be tried and tested. Faith in a hero of ours, our belief system or religion, or even our very own self will be questioned. You may change as a person.
When life gets difficult, this is when our minds drift the most. By drift I mean, we question every decision we have made, or live on with regrets. The reality is that life is a roller coaster. There are very, very high ups and extremely lonely down times; we will all experience this, knowing none of it lasts forever. When you are feeling high and at the top of your game, it is only a matter of time before you feel the opposite, and vice versus. Compounding some sort of belief system within “The Self†is the final variable to the formula because is absolutely reinforces the previous 4. If you do not train the mind to believe, actually and intentionally believe, that you are a good person, who has the capability to become even better, then the rest of the formula may fall apart. If your belief is in a higher power, or religion then use that as the final part of the D.S.G.C.B. formula. One must develop a strong belief in something greater than their self. This will keep you humble and understanding that although you are the coolest and most amazing person on the planet, there are almost 8 billion other individuals who are sharing this time and space with you for their while. It is important to keep this understanding. The older you get, the more knowledgeable you will become. With this knowledge comes a responsibility to not only share that knowledge with those around you, but understand that you are still a child with respect to the knowledge of the universe. Believe in yourself and the world at large, and you will find your way.
Discipline|Self-Control|Gratitude|Confidence|Belief|©
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