The power of the mind

Like everything else in life, the process of aging or getting older has a lot to do with your mental attitude, your outlook of life and the environment within which you live.  Using Betty again as an example, she is a 98 year old woman who was married 5 times, never drove a car and doesn’t know how to cook.  During her lifetime, she enjoyed the benefits of having others do those things for her.  When I ask her about her past, her comment always is:  “Who can remember?”  Yet I know from my own personal experience that while I do not remember ever detail of my past life, I truly can remember the highlights – those memorable moments or times when I felt fulfilled and happy with who I was and who I have become.  When Betty mentions men or sees a good looking man, she immediately responds and wants to strike up a conversation.  She loves to interact with men and thoroughly enjoys bantering with them.  Even if she is tired and a little out of sorts, her entire physiology changes in an instant.  Something in her mind must trigger happy moments with men and she reacts immediately.  I also discovered that when she saw me and I walked into her room, her energy immediately shifted and she got up and wanted to become active.  She smiled, she expressed herself clearly and she made a conscious choice to get up and do something---whether it be go to the kitchen to eat, work on a puzzle or word game or go outside for a walk.  She was and is able to shift gears immediately and in her ability to shift, she has opened herself up to moments of enjoyment and happiness.  These activities bring her joy.  They are fun and she reacts to them with a positive mind and spirit.

My point here is each one of us is capable of shifting gears in our lives.  We have the power to go from a depressed mood to a happy mood if we are willing to make that choice.  We have the power to think positive thoughts in place of negative thoughts if that is our choice and we also have the power to improve our mental attitude and the environment in which we live when we make a conscious effort to do so.   The mind is a powerful tool that can be programmed to experience what you want it to feel.  Many people do not believe in the power of the mind and unfortunately treat it as though it doesn’t matter. 

I ask you to look at it this way; our body and our mind are mechanisms.  We are machines—very elaborate machines with many intricate parts.  Just like a car, if our ride is not smooth and the car is not performing at peak, we try to shift gears; we look for a way to make a change so that the performance that we are seeking is just right. 

Now look at the power behind the mind.  When our performance is off and we feel down or stressed, we actually have the power to shift gears and alter our performance if that is our choice.  Through re-programming our mind, we can learn to shift gears instantaneously.  At first you may not be making a conscious choice, but with practice and time, you will be able to shift the gears of your mind quickly and efficiently.  Everything takes practice and know-how. 

We have the power within us to experience that which we desire.  If you desire to experience joy and contentment in life, you can have it. The power starts in your thoughts and moves into your heart and is transferred into words that you express.  We all have the power to express compassion, love, caring and sharing.  The power starts on the inside of you and filters out – one thought at a time.  Remember what we think about is what we become. 

Joan Marie Ambrose

Author, Creative Writer, Motivational Speaker

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