State of Mind - Real or Imagined?

We had been visiting family who enjoys having the news on as “background” noise. Stories of murders, rapes, robberies, conflict, and all the normal ugliness played, and I tried my best to tune it out.

When we returned to our own home, I took our dog, Bella, for a walk. As she and I strolled down the street, a van was heading toward us.  I watched it with trepidation…

The van slowed down, two men jumped out, grabbed me, and dragged me into the side door. My dog tried to defend me but they kicked her and then took off. My heart was beating and I began to sweat! 

...Suddenly, Bella yanked my arm trying to chase a squirrel and I snapped out of the trance-like state of envisioning this awful event.

Has your mind ever envisioned a horrific event? 

Maybe you watch a reality show about significant others cheating and you start looking at your partner with suspicion…

Or you watch a show about revenge and hatred only to find yourself starting to think like those characters, assuming the worst about others, without even realizing it. 

Or the lyrics of songs convey disrespect towards a certain gender or race and even though consciously you don’t think that way, somehow those messages seep into your subconscious mind.

Just as it is said “feed your body healthy food and you’ll have a healthy body”, the same goes for “feed your mind healthy messages and you’ll have a healthy mind”.

Take one week and pay attention to your thoughts. It is amazing what goes on inside our heads. You may have some moments that shock you - I sure have! Unless we pay attention, it is easy to just continue on aimlessly. 

If you aren’t comfortable with what is going on inside that noggin then take a look at what you are feeding it. 

Change what you are feeding your mind. Try listening to a different kind of music, turn off the news, and read motivational, educational or inspirational material…you know what to do.

All of us have choices about what we can do to be purposeful and create the lives we love and want. 

What “healthy food” are you feeding your mind these days? Share your story on Facebook or Instagram.