Mastering Your Mind - Part 1

Your mind is the most powerful tool you have for the creation of good in your life, but if not used correctly, can also be the most destructive force in your life.

Your mind, more specifically, your thoughts, affect your perception and, therefore, your interpretation of reality.

I have heard that the average person thinks around 70,000 thoughts a day. That’s a lot, especially if they are unproductive, self-abusive, and just a general waste of energy.

You can let your thoughts run amok, but why would you? It is your mind,your thoughts; isn’t it time to take your power back? Isn’t it time to take control? Choose to be the person who is actively, consciously thinking your thoughts. Become the master of your mind.

When you change your thoughts you will change your feelings as well, and you will also eliminate the triggers that set off those feelings. Both of these outcomes provide you with a greater level of peace in your mind.

There are two ways to control your thoughts:  You can interrupt and replace them or you can eliminate them altogether. This second option is what is known as peace of mind!

The technique of interrupting and replacing is a means of reprogramming your subconscious mind. Eventually, the replacement thoughts will become the “go to” thoughts in the applicable situations. I currently have few thoughts that are not of my own choosing or a response from my reprogramming. I am the master of my mind, so now my mind is quite peaceful. Yours can be too!

Who Is Thinking My Thoughts?

Before you can become the master your mind, you must recognize that you are currently at the mercy of several unwanted “squatters” living in your mind, and they are in charge of your thoughts. If you want to be the boss of them, you must know who they are and what their motivation is, and then you can take charge and evict them.

Here are four of the “squatters” in your head that create the most unhealthy and unproductive thoughts.

1. The Inner Critic

      This is your constant abuser.

He is often a conglomeration of:

• Other people’s words; many times your parents.
• Thoughts you have created based on you own or other peoples expectations.
• Comparing yourself to other people, including those in the media.
• The things you told yourself as result of painful experiences such as betrayal and rejection. Your interpretation creates your self-doubt and self-blame, which are most likely undeserved in cases of rejection and betrayal.

He is motivated by pain, low self-esteem, lack of self-acceptance, and lack of self-love. Why else would he abuse you? And since “he” is actuallyyou- why else would you abuse yourself? Why would you let anyone treat you this badly?

2. The Worrier

This person lives in the future; in the world of “what ifs.”

He is motivated by fear which is often irrational and with no basis for it. Occasionally, he is motivated by fear that what happened in the past will happen again.

3. The Reactor or Trouble-Maker

He is the one that has triggers anger, frustration, and pain. These triggers stem from unhealed wounds of the past. Any experience that is even closely related to a past wound will set him off. He can be set off by words or feelings. He can even be set off by sounds and smells.

He has no real motivation; he has poor impulse control and is run by past programming that not longer serves you, if it ever did.

4. The Sleep Depriver

This can be a combination of any number of different squatters including the inner planner, the rehasher, and the ruminator, along with the inner critic and the worrier.

His motivation can be:

• As a reaction to silence, which he fights against
• Taking care of the business you neglected during the day
• Self-doubt, low self-esteem, insecurity, and generalized anxiety
• As listed above for the inner critic and worrier

How can you control these squatters?

If you want to find out how to become the master of your mind, check back soon for part two.

Credit: Life Hack

N.B: To Read the Part 1 of this article, Click Here