Section 4 Managing Mind & Thoughts
“What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds.” (Wayne Dyer)
Chapter 13 Mind your Own Mind
‘Mind your mind!’ this gracious looking old man, whose light brown eyes, always glittered with his inherent intellect and years of wisdom told me. I was broken in those days, emotionally fatigued while spiritually drained. I had heard the idiom ‘mind your business’ but this was the first time someone advised me to ‘mind your mind’. Something innovative yet totally beyond my understanding. Ten years in a row, my life was filled with professional and personal defeats, one after the other. To my knowledge, I was doing my best, at least the best that I could know of in my capacity. Upon seeing my wishes, goals, expectations become reality, I resorted to different methods, not all of which I am proud of today. Feeling my prayers unanswered, I resorted to summoning the spiritual favors by visiting the holy people, getting their allegiance, and joining preaching organizations. Without ever realizing that whatever I was doing at the surface, I was deeply wounded and misfit from inside. So, unless you repair yourself from inside out, the outside cosmetic measures rarely work. While there is apparently nothing improper with consulting and seeking guidance from higher spiritual sources (such as religious teachers, ulemas, Pirs etc.) as long as they are connected to the right source themselves ( Quran & Sunnah) but the mistake which I saw people generally making was that people would shun the ‘personal responsibility’ and put the whole baggage of their pending problems, unsolved cases, un-met desires with an expectation to be solved in the accounts of those respected spiritual teachers. I would do the same to the most part, as I came from a considerably
religious family, who were amazing in their ways yet would expect miracles to happen, but ‘personal responsibility’ part of the equation missing from their action. So, while my spiritual journey continues to this day and I am a deeply spiritual person who seeks solutions to his life’s problems from the recommended methods of dua, prayers etc., yet I lay great importance over the concept of ‘personal responsibility’ as I find it seamlessly befitted to Islamic teachings and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him). If you ponder, his (may peace be upon him). whole life was an embodiment of struggle, emotional harmony, personal responsibility and backing ‘Dua’s’ with utmost action and practical steps. In the same vein, amongst the personal responsibilities, the foremost is learning to manage your mind. In case, you can’t manage your mind and thought process, you can’t expect to heal yourself off your habit of stressing, anxiety and ensuing challenges that sneak in. I have stressed enough on why one should learn your brain as it becomes then easy to realize why you are behaving the way you are behaving and then putting yourself into action to make amends and make you mentally an iron man or woman. Know Your Brain Our brains are the most marvelous super computers having the ability to process, feel, analyze, assess, express, judge, foresee and you name it. Now, here is something even more exciting to know. Everything that makes you feel ‘you’, i.e. Your thoughts, visions, dreams, hopes, feelings, habits, fears, expectations, pain and joys is on account of 100 billion brain cells and neural networks. Isn’t it amazing to know that our brains which seemingly fit inside a skull are carrying billions of cells and networks that connect these brain cells?
As soon, as you learn anything new, it could be a word or a skill or a verse, newer paths are being created in your brains. So, essentially your brain is changing, its evolving. You Create your Own Image, How? Imagine a blank canvas on which painters draw their painting. With every stroke of brush, the painting will move towards making more sense and completion. After several strokes of the brush on the canvas, finally an image will be created that we will see as of mountains and rivers. Likewise, you are the painter of your image in your mind, consciously and most times unconsciously. Your thoughts and images which either people put in your mind or you create in your mind, are in fact making neural pathways on the canvas of your brain. This leads to making your identity in your brain and you recognize it as “You”. But What’s your Mind then? (Important step towards your healing) I҉m҉a҉g҉i҉n҉e҉ a҉ b҉l҉a҉n҉k҉ c҉a҉n҉v҉a҉s҉ o҉n҉ w҉h҉i҉c҉h҉ p҉a҉i҉n҉t҉e҉r҉s҉ d҉r҉a҉w҉ t҉h҉e҉i҉r҉ p҉a҉i҉n҉t҉i҉n҉g҉. W҉i҉t҉h҉ e҉v҉e҉r҉y҉ s҉t҉r҉o҉k҉e҉ o҉f҉ b҉r҉u҉s҉h҉, t҉h҉e҉ p҉a҉i҉n҉t҉i҉n҉g҉ w҉i҉l҉l҉ m҉o҉v҉e҉ t҉o҉w҉a҉r҉d҉s҉ m҉a҉k҉i҉n҉g҉ m҉o҉r҉e҉ s҉e҉n҉s҉e҉ a҉n҉d҉ c҉o҉m҉p҉l҉e҉t҉i҉o҉n҉. A҉f҉t҉e҉r҉ s҉e҉v҉e҉r҉a҉l҉ s҉t҉r҉o҉k҉e҉s҉ o҉f҉ t҉h҉e҉ b҉r҉u҉s҉h҉ o҉n҉ t҉h҉e҉ c҉a҉n҉v҉a҉s҉, f҉i҉n҉a҉l҉l҉y҉ a҉n҉ i҉m҉a҉g҉e҉ w҉i҉l҉l҉ b҉e҉ c҉r҉e҉a҉t҉e҉d҉ t҉h҉a҉t҉ w҉e҉ w҉i҉l҉l҉ s҉e҉e҉ a҉s҉ o҉f҉ m҉o҉u҉n҉t҉a҉i҉n҉s҉ a҉n҉d҉ r҉i҉v҉e҉r҉s҉. L҉i҉k҉e҉w҉i҉s҉e҉, y҉o҉u҉ a҉r҉e҉ t҉h҉e҉ p҉a҉i҉n҉t҉e҉r҉ o҉f҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ i҉m҉a҉g҉e҉ i҉n҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ m҉i҉n҉d҉, c҉o҉n҉s҉c҉i҉o҉u҉s҉l҉y҉ a҉n҉d҉ m҉o҉s҉t҉ t҉i҉m҉e҉s҉ u҉n҉c҉o҉n҉s҉c҉i҉o҉u҉s҉l҉y҉. Y҉o҉u҉r҉ t҉h҉o҉u҉g҉h҉t҉s҉ a҉n҉d҉ i҉m҉a҉g҉e҉s҉ w҉h҉i҉c҉h҉ e҉i҉t҉h҉e҉r҉ p҉e҉o҉p҉l҉e҉ p҉u҉t҉ i҉n҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ m҉i҉n҉d҉ o҉r҉ y҉o҉u҉ c҉r҉e҉a҉t҉e҉ i҉n҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ m҉i҉n҉d҉, a҉r҉e҉ i҉n҉ f҉a҉c҉t҉ m҉a҉k҉i҉n҉g҉ n҉e҉u҉r҉a҉l҉ p҉a҉t҉h҉w҉a҉y҉s҉ o҉n҉ t҉h҉e҉ c҉a҉n҉v҉a҉s҉ o҉f҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ b҉r҉a҉i҉n҉. T҉h҉i҉s҉ l҉e҉a҉d҉s҉ t҉o҉ m҉a҉k҉i҉n҉g҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ i҉d҉e҉n҉t҉i҉t҉y҉ i҉n҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ b҉r҉a҉i҉n҉ a҉n҉d҉ y҉o҉u҉ r҉e҉c҉o҉g҉n҉i҉z҉e҉ i҉t҉ a҉s҉ “Y҉o҉u҉”. I҉m҉a҉g҉i҉n҉e҉ a҉ b҉l҉a҉n҉k҉ c҉a҉n҉v҉a҉s҉ o҉n҉ w҉h҉i҉c҉h҉ p҉a҉i҉n҉t҉e҉r҉s҉ d҉r҉a҉w҉ t҉h҉e҉i҉r҉ p҉a҉i҉n҉t҉i҉n҉g҉. W҉i҉t҉h҉ e҉v҉e҉r҉y҉ s҉t҉r҉o҉k҉e҉ o҉f҉ b҉r҉u҉s҉h҉, t҉h҉e҉ p҉a҉i҉n҉t҉i҉n҉g҉ w҉i҉l҉l҉ m҉o҉v҉e҉ t҉o҉w҉a҉r҉d҉s҉ m҉a҉k҉i҉n҉g҉ m҉o҉r҉e҉ s҉e҉n҉s҉e҉ a҉n҉d҉ c҉o҉m҉p҉l҉e҉t҉i҉o҉n҉. A҉f҉t҉e҉r҉ s҉e҉v҉e҉r҉a҉l҉ s҉t҉r҉o҉k҉e҉s҉ o҉f҉ t҉h҉e҉ b҉r҉u҉s҉h҉ o҉n҉ t҉h҉e҉ c҉a҉n҉v҉a҉s҉, f҉i҉n҉a҉l҉l҉y҉ a҉n҉ i҉m҉a҉g҉e҉ w҉i҉l҉l҉ b҉e҉ c҉r҉e҉a҉t҉e҉d҉ t҉h҉a҉t҉ w҉e҉ w҉i҉l҉l҉ s҉e҉e҉ a҉s҉ o҉f҉ m҉o҉u҉n҉t҉a҉i҉n҉s҉ a҉n҉d҉ r҉i҉v҉e҉r҉s҉. L҉i҉k҉e҉w҉i҉s҉e҉, y҉o҉u҉ a҉r҉e҉ t҉h҉e҉ p҉a҉i҉n҉t҉e҉r҉ o҉f҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ i҉m҉a҉g҉e҉ i҉n҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ m҉i҉n҉d҉, c҉o҉n҉s҉c҉i҉o҉u҉s҉l҉y҉ a҉n҉d҉ m҉o҉s҉t҉ t҉i҉m҉e҉s҉ u҉n҉c҉o҉n҉s҉c҉i҉o҉u҉s҉l҉y҉. Y҉o҉u҉r҉ t҉h҉o҉u҉g҉h҉t҉s҉ a҉n҉d҉ i҉m҉a҉g҉e҉s҉ w҉h҉i҉c҉h҉ e҉i҉t҉h҉e҉r҉ p҉e҉o҉p҉l҉e҉ p҉u҉t҉ i҉n҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ m҉i҉n҉d҉ o҉r҉ y҉o҉u҉ c҉r҉e҉a҉t҉e҉ i҉n҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ m҉i҉n҉d҉, a҉r҉e҉ i҉n҉ f҉a҉c҉t҉ m҉a҉k҉i҉n҉g҉ n҉e҉u҉r҉a҉l҉ p҉a҉t҉h҉w҉a҉y҉s҉ o҉n҉ t҉h҉e҉ c҉a҉n҉v҉a҉s҉ o҉f҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ b҉r҉a҉i҉n҉. T҉h҉i҉s҉ l҉e҉a҉d҉s҉ t҉o҉ m҉a҉k҉i҉n҉g҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ i҉d҉e҉n҉t҉i҉t҉y҉ i҉n҉ y҉o҉u҉r҉ b҉r҉a҉i҉n҉ a҉n҉d҉ y҉o҉u҉ r҉e҉c҉o҉g҉n҉i҉z҉e҉ i҉t҉ a҉s҉ “Y҉o҉u҉”.
Classified Pages From the Book ---------------------------------------------(Not included in this review)