"What do you have in mind?" This question could be the beginning of a
shift in perspective with the potential to transform your life. What DO you have in mind? I mean IN your mind. What thoughts, ideas,
beliefs, and self-talk dominates and repeats? And does it even matter what you
have "in mind?"
Let's start with why it may make a great deal of difference
what you have in mind. Did you know that with every thought, your brain
releases brain chemicals? In the article Happy Brain, Happy Life, Susan
Reynolds notes that "Your frontal lobe, particularly your PFC [pre-frontal
cortex], decides what is important according to the amount of attention you pay
to something and how you feel about it. Thus, the more you focus on negativity,
the more synapses and neurons your brain will create that support your negative
thought process. Of course, it also follows that the more you focus on positive
thoughts, the stronger the neural paths to support positive thinking.
The implication is that you have the power to train your
brain by choosing what thoughts, ideas, and beliefs you allow to dominate your
awareness and attention. The process of training this awareness goes by many
names. In many eastern traditions meditation includes the process of training
awareness and attention of the mind. Currently in the west, mindfulness is
becoming the buzzword for this type of awareness. Why so much focus on
awareness of thoughts, ideas, and beliefs? Because in order to change a habit
pattern, even the habit of thinking, you must first be aware of the pattern,
notice it, before a different choice can be made. It really is possible to
become aware of the character of your thoughts and make a conscious decision to
change your focus of thought, which in turn can change your brain and set a new
(hopefully more useful) pattern of thinking.
I’ll give an example which may initially seem off topic
here. Some years ago, while searching for a new vehicle to purchase, I came
upon a model that I did not recall seeing many of on the road. While not the reason for buying that model,
it seemed unique to me added to the list of reasons I bought it. Within a few
days of driving it, however, I began to see literally dozens of the same make,
model, and even color of the vehicle I had assumed was unique. My experience
was an example of the Baader-Meinhof effect (also known as the frequency
illusion), the phenomenon in which people who just learn or notice something
start seeing it everywhere. In fact, the frequency of seeing that particular
vehicle make, model and color had not changed from prior to my purchased. What
had changed was what my mind was primed to notice. This effect plays a role in
the so-called Law of Attraction, which posits that what one focuses one's
attention on, one will receive in kind. Being able to train your mind on the
positive in present moment experiences that you probably overlooked if you were
in the habit of focusing on the negative narrative of experience. Life begins
to take on a feel of optimism and positive opportunities are less likely to be
missed. It is really about opening up to the full range of experience and
possibilities.
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| It is really about opening up to the full range of experience and possibilities |
Your brain is hard-wired to notice threats for a purpose,
that is, survival. But in modern times, we have generalized this survival skill
into areas that are not always useful, such as road rage, and with the glut of
sensationalism in media, advertising and social media permeating our
experience, we often notice less of our lives in the present moment, and miss
opportunities due to skepticism and a generalized lack of trust.
Changing your thought and attention habits is a process, and
will take work, patience and time. Here
are some ways you can begin:
1. Begin with a
simple exercise. Pick a time near the end of each day to take 15 minutes to
think back over your day. List at least three positive things that happened
during the day. Add to the list every evening. This begins the process of
showing your mind how to focus on the positive. After this becomes routine,
move on to step 2.
2. Notice something
positive in someone else and give them kudos for it. This exercise begins
to train your attention on the positive in the present moment. After this
becomes routine, move on to step 3.
3. Notice bodily
sensations and emotions. Setting the intention, and practicing awareness of
the senses and emotions can alert and ground you to your present experience. If
the sensations and emotions are those of anxiety, or feeling threatened, take a
moment to take in some slow, deep breaths and re-evaluate. If the feeling of
threat is more imagined than real (much of the time this is the case for me)
then remind yourself that you are safe. If the sensations and emotions reflect
positive experience, take a few slow, deep breaths and allow the experience to
sink in. This exercise enables your mind to redirect from useless states of
anxiety, and to revel in the experience of the present moment.
What you allow to stay in mind can have a profound effect on
your experience of life. Being mindful of thoughts, emotions, and sensations is
the beginning of making positive changes. Being open to the possibilities
present in all of our experience in the present moment allows us to evaluate
what thoughts are worth keeping in mind, and what thoughts to evict.
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