Runner feet sunrise
Very often I find it difficult to explore some of the key concepts in what might loosely be described as personal development or self improvement, given that ordinary language and words prove wholly inadequate. For example, do the words 'universal energy' adequately capture the reality that you and I are simply vibrating energy, that we live in a world and universe comprised solely of vibrating energy and that all that energy is highly responsive? Does the sobriquet 'Law of Attraction' mean different things to different people? And where do the boundaries lie between mind, body and spirit?
In fact, of course, there are no boundaries between mind, body and spirit just as there are no limits between you and I as individuals and the universe of which each of us comprises an integral and indispensable part. Not only are we part of a whole, when it comes to us as individuals, there is just one - mind, body and spirit are simply indefinably different aspects of the one. This is important because, when one looks at the facts in this manner, it becomes blindingly clear that what we are thinking, in other words what is going on in our minds, has an immediate and direct impact on how we feel, spiritually and physically. For example, when one dissects the apparent reality of stress and its very real physical consequences, we find that our thoughts directly cause shifts in body temperature and heart rate, changes in the production and release of a whole range of chemicals all of which, if unchecked, lead to serious illnesses - such as heart attack and stroke - and, if seriously out of control, can lead to premature death.
The point that I am making is this. Our state of mind has a direct impact on the state of mind of those around us - this has proven time and again by research in the field of psychology over many years. How much more does our state of mind affect us, ourselves? Your health, fitness and wellbeing are all direct consequences of your state of mind. Even your weight - your ability to gain too much of it or a variety of eating disorders from bulimia to anorexia - is a direct consequence of what is going on in your head.
And what is going on in your head is directly within your own control - or should be if you take the trouble to make the simplest and, ultimately, most powerful decision that we can all make as responsible adults - choosing your own thoughts. As things stand, your normal mind is plagued with inappropriate thoughts, most of which are derived from your subconscious mind. Research has concluded that the normal subconscious focuses on the events of our formative years and is more likely to focus on negative rather than the positive events - things that happened many years ago that made us feel bad about ourselves then and which, through being replayed are still making us feel inadequate. That, sadly, is our default state of mind. Of course, just because that's the default doesn't mean that we cannot control as to what we will or will not pay attention to.
Ultimately, you are your own master. Your life - every single aspect of it - is dictated by the thoughts that you're paying attention to. This is happening whether you're aware of it or not. The ultimate and powerful decision that I've just mentioned can be taken, day to day, moment to moment, by choosing to pay attention to the actual sensory experience of the here and now instead of letting your mind subconsciously wander to the stuff that's hurting you. If you do not take this action, your mind will continue to hurt you. Taking this decision is the only sure-fire way of preventing your own subconscious dwell on the self-destructive thoughts that we all have to a greater of lesser degree. No other way is more effective. No other way has the power to completely transform your health, your fitness, your wellbeing, your personal effectiveness and, ultimately, your ability to live a life of peace, happiness and effortless success.
Strong words - and, for once, words that are not open to dozens of different interpretations! The choice is stark - it's a life and death decision because if you're not living your life to the full you might as well be dead. Don't leave your fate in the hands of a subconscious mind that always has its finger on the self-destruct button. Grow up - take responsibility for your own life and start living it to the full. While the decision to choose your own thoughts is transformational, we're not talking about any breathtaking leap of faith here. No one is asking you to jump off a cliff blindfolded and trust in the universe to catch you. We're talking about stopping - right now - noticing what you're thinking (or where your mind thinks it is!) and deciding, not on a counter thought, to focus on now. You could focus on your breathing - that's happening now. You could focus on the wind blowing through your hair. If you've no hair, you'll always find something else to focus on!! We're talking about coming to our senses. Because, in doing so, we will stop making a nonsense of our lives and start being all that we can truly be.
