Control Your Mind And Rise To Life's Challenges
Article by Willie Horton
Copyright (c) 2011 Willie Horton
I reckon that, if I told you that there's only one real challenge in life and that, if you rose to it, you'd be perfectly equipped to deal with all the worry and stress that life throws at you, you might just be a little interested in learning how to rise to that challenge! And, in reality, there is only one challenge that we all face – but not only are we rarely even aware of it, we're not adequately equipped, as things stand, to meet it head on. What is this one big challenge? Taking responsibility for and control of your own mind. You see, things like money worries, stress at work, even losing your job or your business are not challenges – they are things that you need to handle and deal with. The sad fact is, though, that we automatically react to what we think is going on – and, as you know, reacting often makes things worse instead of better.
It goes without saying that daily life is, indeed, full of issues that we have to handle - from dealing with teenage children to coping with a difficult boss, from facing major problems in your business to handling money problems. But, as I say, these are not the challenges - these are simply the ebbs and flows of life. And, like the tide that is constantly coming in and going out, all these issues arise and pass away. The terrible thing is, though, that we often freeze in the face of oncoming problems - and we react.
Our reactions are, as normally-minded people, simply dictated by our subconscious. Now the big problem is that the normal subconscious never focuses on what the problem actually is. It puts its own spin on the nature of the problem by using what psychology calls our 'stored knowledge' as its starting point. This stored knowledge was learned when we were young and impressionable - it is decades out of date. As a result, we are ill-equipped to handle life's problems. That's the reason why there are so many frustrated, anxious, stressed and fearful people around. It's also the reaso! n why so many of us keep repeating the same mistakes, not learning from what's gone before.
On the other hand, if you are clear in your mind and focused on what is actually going on, solutions will and do present themselves. The big problem that we have is that, as things stand, our subconscious mind makes sure that we react to what we think is happening - this happens automatically. And what you've got to realize is that this is the subconscious mind's default way of operating - it's the way that we're hard-wired. You've got to be prepared to work at developing your clear state of mind. You have to be prepared to be both disciplined and committed.
To do this work, you need to get mentally fit! You must train yourself to clear your mind in peace and quiet - nobody in their right mind trains when they've actually gone out to play the game. I recommend meditation. A few minutes first thing in the morning will make sure that your mind is both clear and focused before the rough and tumble of the day begins. However, as far as I can see, many people simply don't understand meditation. Sometimes this even applies to people who meditate - they think that meditation is used for relaxation. But focused meditation will ensure that you are sufficiently mentally focused to take real action - and this is very different from our normal reactive response.
Commitment is required on a daily basis. To do this a degree of self discipline is called for. People often tell me that they have committed to, for example, changing their lives. Commitment, however, is not a decision that you make - it's something, or many things, that you do - again and again. Commitment is only an empty promise until you validate it through ongoing continuous action. In other words, you've got to discipline yourself to do a little meditation each morning - after all, you've no idea when life will chuck the next problem in your direction.
With a clear mind you will be able to see each problem for what it actually is - somethin! g that w ill, sooner or later, go away, assuming that you've taken the right action. On occasion, of course, doing nothing is the best action that you could take. Sometimes, though, bravery and courage are called for - and the normal mind doesn't like being brave or courageous! However, only a normal muddled mind sees such action as brave or courageous - a clear mind will be sure and certain that what needs to be done is simply logical. Armed with clarity of mind, it will not only become obvious as to what the right course of action is - you'll be fully primed to go and take that action, effortlessly.
There is, of course, an even more exciting benefit that flows from having a clear mind. Not only will you be able to see life's problems for what they really are, you will also clearly see life's opportunities as well. All too often, the normal mind believes that every silver lining has a cloud - we see shadows and ghosts where none exist. However, everything becomes crystal clear to a clear mind! It will be obvious that you can banish life's dark clouds. But it will also be obvious that even those dark clouds come with a 'silver lining'!
To sum up, there are various problems and issues that we face every day that we have simply got to deal with - more often they will simply get worse until we take the appropriate action - just the appropriate action. As we've seen, the normal mind will often view the real action required as completely impossible - and this is from a position where it may not even appreciate the real nature of the problem! Furthermore, a clear mind will ensure that, in additoin to being able to spot live's opportunities, you will be well placed to actually do something about them.
About the AuthorWillie Horton has worked in Personal Development since 1996 with clients like Pfizer, Deloitte, Diageo and Allergan. A published author, he is a keynote speaker and sought-after consultant. He moved from Ireland to the French Alps in 2002 and now travels the world enabling his clients become highly effective, happy and successful. His acclaimed workshops are online at http://www.gurdy.net
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