They say your mind is a powerful thing and it is. Our thoughts manipulate our perceived realities, alter our emotions and make people doubt themselves and their abilities. Once you free your mind from the negative thoughts, the conditioned notions that have been placed on you since school, you can live the live you’ve always wanted to.
I don’t want to say I was a victim of my thoughts because I was in control of them, but I allowed them to control me. I allowed the negative thoughts, the doubt, the fear to rule me. I made decisions based on what was instilled in me since I was knee high not because I thought it was right, but because that was what was taught to me that is the way it is etc. I was a prisoner and it wasn’t until I was able to free my mind from the negative and rewire my thoughts from how I was taught was I able to begin to live the life I wanted.
We were all taught that if we didn’t get good grades in school that we weren’t smart enough. Or that we need to go get a college degree to get that corporate job that we will have to spend our next 40 years working at. I can’t understand how I once thought that taking my skills and talent and using them for the next 40 years making money for someone else was what life was all about, but I did because that was what was taught to us.
Honestly ask yourself if what you learned in school, like those Algebra formulas or the periodic table, do you use those in your ever day life? I’m sure the only formulas you use are in Excel. Ask yourself if because you didn’t get good grades that held you back from a decent job? The only thing holding us back is ourselves.
How many times did you want to do something else with your life but your thoughts told you that you weren’t good enough or you’ll never make it? How many times has your negative outlook on things affect your mood or feelings? We all have had those thoughts and probably more often than not we gave into them.
I use to let my negative thoughts get to me all the time. Every time something went awry I was like, “why me?” or “bad things only ever happen to me.” And it snowballed from there. My thoughts altered my attitude and made me miserable. I was just angry all of the time and not enjoying life because my thoughts made it seem that nothing was ever working out for me.
There was a day or whatnot when everything for me came to a head. I was tired of being angry all the time. I was tired of working for other people for peanuts and expected to be happy for 2 weeks vacation and a couple of holidays off. I couldn’t keep being miserable doing the same thing day after day until I was 65. We’re not guaranteed to live to 65 and we’re expected to work everyday for someone else, make them money and then after we gave our best years of our life to them, then we can “live?”
How I Learned to Free My Mind
There is no magic snap of the fingers that will free your mind from years of conditioning and training. Once I found what made me happy, I knew I had to change my thinking so I could achieve what truly made me happy. I read tons of books on how to change my thinking, how to meditate and how to not listen to the voices in your head. I’m still a work in progress but here are some things that have helped me get on the right path.
Meditation
I use to think meditation was a bunch of hippies in loin clothes chanting and humming while playing with finger cymbals. That’s the movies for ya; always influencing. I have A.D.D. and my mind goes off every other minute. I could be cleaning and all of a sudden, squirrel. I honestly never thought I could meditate for longer than 30 seconds. I tried different apps with people talking and telling me what to focus on etc., but what I found works for me is listening to movie soundtracks. It calms me and allows my mind to be free from distraction. I meditate for 10 minutes in the morning. I’m so relaxed afterwards.
And no I don’t hum or chant when I meditate. I just clear my mind and thoughts when I drift into meditation. There are times I’m meditating and I get lost in it and 30 minutes later I wake up and wonder where the time went. Meditation has helped calmed the negativity in my life.
Breathing
You think breathing and must think well of course breathing helps otherwise you would be dead. Well you would have a point, but breathing in the aspect of taking a deep breath before you get angry at something or someone. I was quick with the temper and lashing out. I still have my moments, but when I catch myself getting angry, a few deep breaths help calm me down and the thoughts of anger disappear.
Being Grateful
Do you know how easy it is to have all that you need and still be ungrateful? That was me. I had what I needed but I was conditioned to want more. I always had to have to new cool things and if I didn’t have them I wasn’t happy. Once I learned to be grateful and appreciate what I have happiness followed. Freedom from negative thoughts dissipated. I’m grateful for each new day I get to see. I’m grateful for everything.
Once I was able to free my mind I was able to be happy. I was able to live the life I want to live. Not longer controlled by my thoughts or living by the way life was taught to me. Freedom and happiness is not found in making others money. It’s in making us happy. What are some ways you found to free your mind from the negative thinking?
Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash