Being Mindful of the Mind

In Sunday school yesterday, I learned quite a few new facts. Although I’ve worked in the medical profession as a registered nurse for over 34 years and knew the brain processed an enormous amount of information, I had no inkling of exactly how much. The brain has an average of 86 billion microscopic collective communicates 10 quadrillion calculations per second. It consumes 1/4 of our body’s oxygen and burns 1/5 of our total calories each day. And although the human brain is the most complex supercomputer in existence, it only uses 1/5 the power of a standard 60 watt light bulb.

Studies by Dr. John T. Cacioppo have discovered that the brain is addicted to negative information. It reacts more strongly to negative stimuli than to the positive. By flashing images and measuring the brain’s response he found a higher activity to negative presentations. The brain gets a biochemical high from the stress hormones that are produced. People who become addicted to stress are either high achievers or live in constant emotional turmoil.

There is a constant bombardment of information in our lives and it’s necessary to strategize what we do with it. We need to survey our ports of entry and note what information being consumed, barricade sources of negative information, and be surrounded with positive influence. A good example is to create a routine to start and to end the day in a right frame of mind. What happens during the day may be out of our control, but setting minds right will add sane periods to a hectic day.

Thoughts have definite points of entry and we must understand where we get our information. One entry point is our eyes. Things that we see during the day influence our thought patterns, our moods, and our emotions. Television, advertisements, and news can alter our thoughts. The ear is another gate of entry. The music we hear, gossip, conversations we have with spouses, children, or parents can affect us positively or negatively.

We need to assign parameters to our lives, set a higher standard, and focus on things with moral excellence, rising above the daily disappointments and evils. It’s necessary to think on reality and not on the possible. The future is an unknown. Think on what is correct and not about what is wrong. Don’t waste energy pointing at the faults of others. It is not our job to even the score. Thinking on positive actions and perseverance will always be an asset in your family, your job, and to others.