By Terez Hartmann
Minding the Brain
“I could while away the hours, conferrin’ with the flowers, consultin’ with the rain. And my head, I’d be scratchin’ while my thoughts were busy hatchin’ if I only had a brain…”—Ray Bolger as “The Scarecrow” from “The Wizard of Oz”
Ah, that blessed brain! When we are in alignment, having access to this intricate, masterfully-designed piece of hardware, which supports the software we call “mind,” really IS something worth singing about! Think about this: The brain sends out all-points bulletins 24/7 to ALL essential systems in our body to keep up the good work without demanding our attention! It enables us to move virtually any part of our body at any time and to turn thoughts into language to interact and communicate with other beings. It flips images that would appear upside-down through the naked eye to enable us to move about the cabin in a right-side-up way! Wow! In short, the brain is really freakin’ awesome…
…But <dun-dun-dun> when the software (the mind) takes on a mind of its own and runs amok into all kinds of crazy places, there are times when a lobotomy starts to sound like a really attractive option!
Before you disable the hardware in the hopes of debugging derailed software, consider these ideas for getting back on track to a good train of thought!
Minding Momentum
Even if you skipped out on high school or college physics, all you have to do to see the logic of Sir Isaac Newton’s theory (“A body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force”) is to observe any kind of person or thing in motion to see what happens when said thing is allowed to move and flow fully without resistance. If you’ve ever watched a runner, animal, or vehicle moving at top speed, it is clear that there is great power in momentum—and that sudden stops are not typically comfortable experiences! When you combine this with Law of Attraction 101 and the Abraham-Hicks idea that our thoughts also have momentum, it’s no wonder that the longer you focus on any particular thing without resistance that momentum will build until thoughts become more thoughts that ultimately become things—literally taking on a life of their own! This is WAY cool when you are thinking happy, productive thoughts, but not so fabulous when you seem to have jumped on a train of thought bound for trouble at top speed!
The GOOD news is that when you understand how momentum works and remember that YOU are the conductor driving your train, you then have the power to slow or shift the momentum and—better yet—you can even catch and direct your train of thought before it leaves the station. Yes, when a train has been rollin’ along a certain track for quite a while and has picked up ample speed (like focusing on a problem you’ve been fixating on for a while or clinging to a belief that does not serve you well) slowing this train down WILL take some time and practice. But with a willingness to do the best you can where you are and a determination to wake up and choose a train of thought that feels better, you absolutely CAN get to a point where you stop boarding the crazy train and become a regular on the love train, baby!
Ready to take back the reins of your train of thought? Choose any one (or all) of the focus tools below:
1. Let’s Get Physical!
Aside from bringing a catchy 1980-something Olivia Newton-John tune to mind, focusing on your BODY can actually work wonders for redirecting the mind. When you exercise and count repetitions, attend a dance/fitness class that requires your full attention to stay in the groove, listen for the beat and jam with musicians, work on your car/boat/motorcycle, play tennis, or plant a garden, the combination of focusing on a task that also requires physical movement can do wonders for your state of mind. Why? Using both Newton’s and Abraham’s ideas above, by shifting your focus from an unproductive train of thought to something else that demands your attention, you introduce resistance to the negative thought pattern, slowing its momentum and, by continuing to focus on a new subject with little to no resistance, you allow positive momentum to build. “Let’s get physical, physical!”
2. Thinking Well
Okay. Getting physical is great, but what can you do to shift your thought process when you are in pain or are feeling physically uncomfortable? Use your MIND to take the spotlight off of your body! Have you ever noticed that once you truly immerse yourself in a complex task that requires all your attention (like crunching numbers, trying out a new recipe, writing a new computer program, creating a website, etc.) or give your attention to something you madly, deeply love, it is not until you get out of your focused, feel-good groove that you “remember” that something hurts/etc? Energy (and momentum) flows where attention goes, so the less air time you give to boo-boos, the sooner they stop coming along for the ride on your train of thought!
BTW…There is nothing wrong with giving yourself permission to use tools/remedies/medicines to help ease your pain. These may not be the ideal permanent fixes, but they can at least give you some relief right now—especially and particularly if you do so with a spirit of appreciation, rather than beating yourself up for taking this route. Taking medicine with an extra helping of guilt does not a healing experience make, so do it (or don’t) and decide that whatever you choose IS the best thing for you right now. Your attitude about the tools you use can have a HUGE bearing on how well they work and can determine whether you board the same old train of dis-ease or start riding the rails of well-being.
3. Put it in Writing
With so much information, ideas, and “to-dos” bombarding our psyche at the speed of light, it’s no wonder we humans sometimes feels like we’re “…Goin’ off of the rails on a crazy train…” Though stopping to meditate, nap, take a walk, put on a silly movie, or read something light and fun would truly do your mind good, sometimes there is so much momentum flowing that a quick slow-down (much like a runner coming to a sudden stop) is just too much of a stretch. If getting physical is not an option and you need to do something about feeling overwhelmed now, organizing your thoughts by putting ideas and “to-dos” in writing can help you calm the chaos and find some direction. It sounds like a no-brainer, but sometimes reaching for a pen and paper (or other note-taking device) is the LAST thing you think about when you start running off the rails. Make a mental note: Take a few deep breaths, stop the insanity, and put some things in writing. You may be surprised by the order and calm you find for your mind.
4. Sleep on it and board a new train tomorrow
After a day with a runaway brain, often a good night’s rest really is best for bringing the train back into the station. Set an intention to wake up refreshed and when you awaken, board a new train by letting your first thought be “thank you.”
Create and read a list of things that are easy to love and appreciate that you keep next to your bed or focus on beautiful things or photos in your room that are linked to happy times and good feelings. By starting your day with a positive train of thought, you are far more likely to keep it rollin’ AND continue to enjoy the journey of where you’re going!
The Bottom Line on Allowing YOUR Success: Mind Matters
With the mind-brain connection, the mind-heart connection, the mind-spirit connection, and on and on, there are SO many different directions to explore when it comes to the topic of “mind.” It really is one of the biggest, deepest, and most widely researched subjects in all of human consciousness, and in truth, it is THE very thing that allows us to EXPERIENCE consciousness! So whether you are approaching life from a biologic, heart-centered, or spiritual angle, there is no escaping the notion that the mind is inextricably linked to EVERY facet of our existence.
If you want to let good happen and enjoy the journey of being the fabulous hybrid 3-D/spiritual being you are, make no mistake, mind matters. Choose to cultivate and inhabit a mind and train of thought bound for clarity, focus, and excellence, and you may just find that you may just thrive in life, the universe, and everything.
All aboard!
Terez Hartman is the author of Allowing Your Success!, a professional Keynote Speaker/Workshop Facilitator, Singer-Songwriter/Recording Artist, “Allowing Adventures!” & “Savor Vacation” Facilitator, true Renaissance Woman and Visionary. She has spent the majority of her life consciously working with the Law of Attraction and “Allowing,” and owes her many years of ever-increasing professional success, constant flow of creativity, vibrant health, many extraordinary adventures, amazing relationships with positive-minded, “cream-of-the-crop” human beings and—what she feels to be her greatest allowing achievement—her extraordinary “soul-mate” marriage, to truly practicing what she teaches in her writings, presentations, adventures and music. Visit: www.AllowingYourSuccess.com or www.AllowingAdventures.com.
