It All Starts from the Mind

The mind is the seat of all intelligence; the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences. It is enables one to think, and to feel. It is the faculty of consciousness and thought.

Now, i can go all technical and share with you, that the mind is "the human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory, and imagination."

This is all true, but, that is not all there is to the human mind. It is so much more. Infact, some schools of thought believe that the soul and spirit of man are all interwoven in the mind.

The mind is the chief director of everything in a person. It is an organisation of complex proportions that handles more than a trillion issues and processes per second. This is how you can read something without reading aloud, while you are breathing, chatting, eating and also multi-tasking.

Sometimes you may be at a seminar or conference, but your thoughts are some place else. Other times, you may be bearing intense pain, but in your minds eye, you are on a beach in Tin Can Island, or Bali.

This is just a sliver of the limitless possibilities of the mind. I once heard from an old man that: "there is no art, nor science, nor scheme, to know the minds construct on the face". He got this from an old Shakespearean play, called Macbeth.

Truer words have never been spoken. No one can truly discern another individual thoughts from their faces. You could make guesses, but it can never be as detailed as the original idea.

The mind is so wonderful, that even a fragrance, a picture, or a flavor, can bring out a sense of deja vu. Memories from decades ago can be remembered, and people can dream of diverse things, from the past, present, or even the future.

It all starts from the mind. The desire for change, for growth, for success, for decision making, for problem solving, is from the mind. The mind is the primary determinant of what you make of yourself in every aspect of life.

Furthermore, the mind is wired to be connected to the physical, spiritual, and biological aspects of a human being. This means our brains, our hearts, our feelings, our emotions, our bodies, our souls, our spirits, our eyes, are all interconnected with the mind.

The above image shows a male tabby cat strolling in front of a large pack of german shepherds or alsatians.

Now, at a glance, try to caption the above image.

Some may say: ''the cat is a goner", "wrong place, wrong time" and "dead on arrival", etc.

Observing the image from a different perspective, it could be that the cat has been trained to mingle with dogs, even dangerous ones. The cat is confident, and the cat strolls past them, without a care in the world.

Observing again, from another angle, it could be that the dogs have been highly trained to keep in line, and not break formation. So even if a juicy cat strolls past, the dogs remember their training.

Any way you interpret it, it all boils down to the mind of those animals and their owners. Using this analogy, you could liken it it to humans.

Perhaps there may be a dire situation or a challenging scenario, and it seems all odds may be against you. Just remember, you are responsible for your actions and thoughts. Think positively, and fill your mind with positivity.

Never say, "i can not do this, i am a realist", "i am not good enough, i have tried and failed", "how can i?" or the "environment is not good, so there is no hope", "i have no idea, i can't".

Those are negative trains of thought. They can fog one's mind with fear, doubt, and uncertainty.

The simple way out is: there is no way out. Its your mind and you have to learn how to direct how your mind works and thinks on certain issues, you have to train your mind to be positive. You have to understand that the things you can control, you can steer it towards a positive region, while the things you can't control, you have to find a way to deal with them.

Many say "mind over matter", but when the time really comes to display that adage, many fail due to their mindset. I once witnessed a young man try to deal with his phobia of heights, in a high rocky region of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Everyday, he would climb a very high rock and sit on the edge. At first, i felt that he was just doing that for fun, because he seemed very fit. But i observed that he would be so frightened on his way down; the color would drain from his face, and he would even scream on his way down.

I couldn't contain my curiosity any longer. I had to ask him and he told me it was his fear, and he was trying to get rid of his fears. I encouraged him and i told him to keep at it.

In three months, he found out that it wasn't as difficult as it was when he started. He actually enjoyed climbing. The fear that gripped him was gone, and he did it ease. He said to himself: "I can do this!"

It all starts from the mind. Imagine if Jeff Bezos, or Aliko Dangote, or Bill Gates, or Simon Sinek, or Steve Jobs all thought negatively. They would never have achieved anything. They would have all failed even before trying, if they didn't think positively from the start.

The adage, "mind over matter" actually just reminds us of the power of the mind and its ability to push past physical barriers. We all have times when it just seems easier to stop, that something is holding us back, it doesn’t feel like we were meant to succeed, or it’s just too hard. This is where the power of the mind and you’re overall mindset comes in.

Keep thinking good thoughts, keep thinking positively, train and steer your minds eye towards that idea, and just watch the gradual successful turn your life will take.

In conclusion, Andrew Murphy, a great writer once said: "You are confined only by the walls you build yourself".

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind. The mind is everything. What you think you become.