We often either overestimate our mental capabilities or underestimate them to the point of disregard. Yet, the mind is the most crucial element we need to manage our lives! Just like air and water, we require healthy mental activities to thrive!
After stating this, I must emphasize something important: the mind doesn’t concern itself with what is real; its only focus is on the question, “Is this safe?”
When we leave the mind unattended—when we accept and believe every piece of information and thought it brings us without question—our lives become increasingly difficult. If we don’t question where the mind is getting this information from or when it originated, we end up living a life filled with thoughts that aren’t truly ours. Living a life that doesn’t belong to us becomes an enormous burden that weighs us down. We only realize we are being crushed under this burden in later years (if we’re lucky, between ages 30-40) through the pain signals our bodies give us or when the external world starts to lose its meaning. Lifelong headaches, stomach and back pains, diagnosed or undiagnosed ailments, and illnesses persist until we get the message. Being stuck in relationships that don’t feel right, pursuing a seemingly successful but aimless career, or living a life unaware of what we truly desire are all consequences of this.
I remember reading in Dr. Gabor Maté’s book, *When the Body Says No*, a quote from a Woody Allen movie: “I never get angry. Instead, I grow a tumor.”
When I observe people who claim to be “mentally oriented,” I see that they are still searching for the answers to the most fundamental questions about themselves. They look for their desires, wants, and fears outside of themselves. They try to understand life by criticizing others and commenting on their behaviors. They are not concerned with what is real.
It’s worth reiterating: the mind is the director of our lives, but the heart is the mind’s compass. The heart should not follow the mind; the mind should listen to the heart and follow it. When the mind and heart work together, we become whole and complete. If we separate them—thinking one is better and the other worse—we remain incomplete.
Scientific research shows that only 20% of our decisions are made with our rational minds, while 80% are made with our hearts, meaning our emotions. This means that when you think you’re making a decision with your mind, you’re actually ignoring your heart—yet you’re unaware that your decision is based on what’s passing through your heart! You’re ignoring yourself. You’re dismissing half of your existence!
So, I ask: What kind of life would you have if you used your mind to hear your heart and feel (understand/interpret) your emotions?
How complementary would it be to your life if you invited the information that belongs to you—from within—through the message-carrying nature of your emotions, observed and processed by your mind, and then acted upon from a place that is true to you? Using the mind’s most important feature—its ability to shed light and illuminate—to discover your own truths without needing external approval… How much more could that support your uniqueness?
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