‘Healthy mind, healthy body’ goes the old Roman adage, and in many ways this is absolutely true. 

All of us know that eating nutritious food keeps our body healthy and fit. In the same manner, the way we think is the food for our mind. 

From our childhood, each one of us has been taught about how to eat, walk, talk, write, learn or play. Unfortunately, no one teaches us how to think rightly. There is no educational institution or training course that teaches a person to think in a right way. 

The concept of mind and fertile land

There is well-known concept of mind and fertile land, where human mind is co-related with land.

According to this concept, our mind is like a fertile land. It entirely depends on us how to take care of this beautiful piece of land. If we sow the seeds of fear, anxiety, jealously, criticism, comparison, conspiracy or scandal, definitely we will yield  crops of anger, resentment, frustration, sadness and depression. 

On the contrary, if we sow the seeds of love, forgiveness, gratitude, optimism, kindness, joy and helpfulness, we will yield the crops of hope, inspiration, confidence, self-esteem and self-respect. 

At the same time, regular removal of  waste from land is utmost important in order to improve crop productivity and quality. In the same manner, regular cleaning of our mind i.e. breaking a spiral of negative thoughts  is crucial to improve quality of our thoughts.

Importance of generating right thoughts

Our thoughts create feelings that decide our actions. When repeated these actions become our habits, which ultimately lead to formation of our attitude. Our attitude plays a significant role in shaping our personality. Our personality determines our ability to take decisions, form relationships or to get to socialize. 

Thus, our thoughts has a remarkable impact on crucial aspects of our life. Therefore, taking care of our thought process is not only good for our mental health but important for improving overall quality of life.

Both the internal and external factors play an important role in shaping our life. We have very little control over external factors. But we can take a charge of internal factors. 

Yes, to a great extent, we can control what is happening inside our mind. 

We have the complete freedom to choose our thoughts. Our thought process is completely under our control, and no other person has a privilege to change it. It is a time to look at our thought process honestly and truthfully. It is solely our responsibility to find out the root causes for our sufferings and replacing negativity with right thoughts, words and actions.

This journey of self-transformation begins with the practice of right thinking. Right thinking can only come into being when there is awareness of every thought and feeling. Right thinking form the very basis of all our mental actions like our thought process, belief system, attitudes, perceptions, reasoning and behavior.

Easier to say than done, but fostering right thinking is not as easy as it sounds. 

Our mind is always on an auto-pilot mode, and it takes just one simple piece of information to initiate a cascade of negative thoughts.

Moreover, we are living in the world of social media, where we are continuously bombarded with all types of information. Getting confused and directionless or expecting worst-case scenario is very common. 

In such scenario, taking care of our thought process is practically impossible.

But at the same time, allowing negativity to hijack our mind is also not good for our emotional health. 

Then the question is how to minimize the impact of negative thoughts?

Focus on good things

No matter how challenging our life is, there are always positive events and achievement that we should cherish.

Appreciation of important things in life can transform our life experience on a more conscious level. 

Isn’t it grateful if we have better quality food to eat, comfortable home to stay and nice clothing to protect our body? 

Yes, sometimes fulfilling basic necessities of life is way more important than others.

Likewise counting our blessings can provide us with better personal experiences. Achievements in education and extra-curricular activities; getting a dream job; promotion at a workplace; buying a new house; welcoming new member in family and reunion with old friends all are meaningful and positive life events.

Remembering positive life events enhance a sense of happiness, fulfilment and life satisfaction. 

Moreover, when we focus on good things in our life, we will realize how many small or big good things we already have in our life. This shift our mindset from lack to abundance and give many reasons to celebrate life. 

Good things are always around us if we take the time to look for them. 

Being grateful provide a constructive way to solve problems and see a world as a better place to live.

We all live once and therefore, fostering right thinking and making this life meaningful is solely our responsibility.

Disclaimer 

Mediclin Brain Health’s content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.