An Evergreen Mind

When a child is born, it comes into this world with an evergreen mind, bearing only the comfort of its mother’s beating heart. However, this unblemished, untroubled and enduring mind could, through the growing stages of life into adulthood, easily become a person’s greatest adversary. The distractions in this fast- paced lifestyle,  mire and cloud the way to find meaning in life. Lives are caught between home, work, and everything in between. There are too many things to do and never enough time. Concentration spans dwindle steadily as more scenarios unfold in one’s life. Questions that we ask ourselves often create doubt and despair in our minds. Why was I born? Is this all I can expect from life? Why can’t I find happiness? This slippery slope doesn’t stop there. Once anxiety, disappointment and fear take hold, a pessimistic outlook about literally everything, can and often does, become a personality altering mind set! Unlike other internal organs, the shape of a mind cannot be seen on CT Scans or X-rays. Your self-awareness affirmations determine in what shape your mind is. The major difference between an optimist and a pessimist is a matter of affirmation – positive self-affirmation and negative self-affirmation.

Even a person with positive self-affirmation can go to bed in a calm and happy frame of mind and wake up to devastating news. Negative feelings strengthened by negative thoughts will try to enter the mind. How does one deal with this external and unexpected invasion? In his book “The Broken Wings,” Khalil Gibran writes, “And God said “Love Your Enemy,” and I obeyed him and loved myself.” Do not let an external enemy harm your mind because you ae AWARENESS  and the guardian of your mind and can therefore deny entry to any external enemy.

First of all, thoughts don’t just suddenly appear in one’s mind. They are often introduced to the mind through strong feelings or memories. For example, coming across a long- forgotten photograph can rake up either hurtful memories that can ravage the mind or pleasant memories that can ease and comfort the mind. Our experiences both positive and negative have a huge impact on our minds. The point is not to reflect on the thought, but instead, on the catalyst (the feeling) that caused the thought in the first place. Feelings carry both positive and negative emotional intensity. These are difficult but not impossible to subdue if one practices the right methods daily.

So, how does someone with a negative mindset transform their pessimistic thoughts? According to psychologists the human mind is capable of creating between sixty-five to a hundred thousand thoughts a day. That may sound alarming, but the good news is that at least 95% of those thoughts recur every day. Our thought patterns become habitual, governed by our daily routines, mostly work or/and home related stress. The feeling of being entrapped becomes the dominant factor of each day. Our external environment, particularly now with the Covid-19 factor can overwhelm us through media, forwarded texts, lockdown, worries about food supplies, jobs, older family members, keeping younger children engaged and the list goes on. The first part to a lasting solution with or without the Covid-19 factor is to find the best way not to feed negativity.

Make a firm decision to reverse the setting of your mind from, I can’t stop worrying, to I can; from it’s impossible to it’s possible. If your decision falters, reassert your decision. The mind is pliable and will follow your directions even if not on the first try. The key is not to give in to negativity.

Watch inspiring podcasts or videos of spiritual leaders who can guide you through various practices to gain control of your mind. (Sadhguru/ Swami Mukundananda/ Hindu Priest Dhandapani)

Discover the life stories of people who successfully reset their minds from impossible to possible. An inspiring example is Roger Bannister, the man who broke 4-minute mile.

There are an amazing number of people around the world such as the Priest Dandapani who as a young man used the practice of unwavering focus to transform his life from being unable to concentrate on anything, to fulfillment and achievement through the power of his own, once resistant mind.

You can also reject negative thoughts by focusing on something that evokes peaces or bliss to give your mind the stillness it requires to perhaps regain some of the quintessential qualities of an evergreen mind.