In this edition we have put together some of the anchors for good mental health. Our therapeutic experience has taught us that these anchors apply to most people, regardless of education, background, social status, gender, race and culture.
These anchors will help you to build and consolidate your emotional and psychological resilience. We would recommend when reading this document that you take time to pause and consider each of these insights and how they may apply to you.
We’re not suggesting that everything in this article will be for everyone… treat it as a buffet and take what appeals to you and leave the rest. We refer to these insights as mind snacks and we hope you will keep coming back for a nibble…
Mind snacks
1. By engaging in positive activities, be aware that unwanted thoughts will emerge. Positive activities clean the mind. When anything is cleaned, dirt is always discharged; the mind is the same. For the mind to become clean, undesirable thoughts and feelings will emerge – when they do, just say to yourself, I lovingly let go… and in time they will pass.
2. No effort, rightly intended, is ever in vain. Even when you’ve not achieved a certain objective or goal this does not mean you have failed. Failure is to not see the learning or the opportunity for growth.
3. The more we make the unconscious conscious, the more we free ourselves from our patterns, habits and fears. Don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself. Lovingly embrace your limitations and you will become free of them.
4. Practice always keeps its promise. The more you aspire to be the best you can be, the more the world around you will support you in your endeavours. Then the winds of good fortune will blow favourably in your direction.
5. The quickest accelerants for your growth are forgiveness and gratitude. Forgiveness cleans and clears the heart and mind… and gratitude fills you with joy and blessings and promotes good health. Find ways to include both in each day.
6. Seeing is best done with the ears! The eyes miss so much. To understand the subtle nuances of each moment, we need to be listening. Only by actively listening can we begin to really see and understand what’s going on around us.
7. Try singing your affirmations to your favourite tunes and you will feel a softening towards yourself. Remember, self-love is not about vanity or conceit, it’s about valuing who you really are. Self-love eventually unlocks every door.
8. Maturity is the ability to be exactly what you need to be in each moment – one moment the master, full of insight and understanding and the next moment the child, carefree and adventurous. Dare to be the child at times… and the master will emerge.
9. Make time to look closely at life and you will find that awe and wonder are never far away. You will be intoxicated by life’s magical symphony… and will be moved to give her a standing ovation. Celebrate the small things.
10. Accept the ambivalence in yourself and those parts of you that still need to grow will eventually catch up and make you whole.
11. When you find meaning and purpose, pursue it with passion… it will make you feel completely alive, able to transcend all challenges and difficulties. Those who establish positive routines, quickly discover that the momentum generated makes the impossible possible.
12. If you’re not sure about where you’re going or why you’re putting one foot in front of the other, circumstances will make your choices for you. Formulate a plan. Be clear about your direction of travel. Then you can stop worrying about the destination, and truly savour each moment.
13. Feel your feelings, acknowledge what they’re trying to tell you and then act accordingly. Try to be a ‘responder’ rather than a ‘reactor’ and you’ll find that you make fewer mistakes.
14. Until we resolve the past it keeps turning up in the present – often as different characters, wearing different costumes. It’s important to resolve those things that still burden the mind. Resolution sets us free.
15. If we are to be well-rounded humans, it’s important to practise seeing the world from the other person’s point of view. This rids us of the arrogance that only our view of reality matters and as a result we develop a broader, richer perspective and greater empathy.
16. When evaluating any situation, remember the importance of context. We cannot truly understand something without seeing all the other relevant factors. To do this we need to stand back, pay attention… and really listen.
17. Saying the right thing without due care and caution devalues our message. When we deliver the truth in the wrong way, it does more harm than good. Pause and think before you speak. Make discernment your friend.
18. Become a benefactor. Find ways to make positive contributions. Your contribution does not need to be elaborate or ostentatious, small acts of kindness are priceless.
19. The outward appearance of an action tells us little about its value. Its real worth is determined by the intention behind that action. Try and make your intentions unselfish and sincere, you’ll find the outcomes are much sweeter for everyone.
20. Nature always conserves her energy, saving something for the eternal tomorrow. Follow her lead and avoid over-trading. Always keep something in reserve and it will turn up at your time of need.
21. There are two governing principles that underpin all life – they are protection and growth. They always work in tandem. The way to enjoy the benefits they both offer, is to pursue things that facilitate your growth. Then you will automatically be protected.
22. The body speaks on behalf of the unconscious mind. If you’re paying attention to your body’s utterings, you will be guided towards how best to meet her needs. Don’t ignore her cries.
23. There’s no future in the past. Only look backwards when it is informing the next step you need to take.
24. Work out eight non-negotiables, using The Story of Health as your template. These non-negotiables should be heartfelt promises that you will not surrender, no matter what pressures come to persuade you otherwise. Then they will protect you whatever challenges turn up in your life.
Change is a process not an event
We all want to reach the destination with as little effort as possible. We’re all hoping for the miracle that will instantly solve all our problems. We don’t want to hear that it might be more challenging than we first thought and yet the truth is we only get out what we put in.
It’s become quite fashionable to promise even greater results with less effort, but this goes against the cause and effect principle that governs the universe. In Change is a Process Not an Event, we cover this topic in more detail but to summarise it here, knowledge plus application equals personal power. The power we seek can only come through consistently applying what we know and believe.
The more obsessive your focus is to meet the needs of your mind, body and spirit, ensuring your environment supports you in that, the more your desired destination is guaranteed.
We hope you enjoy these mind snacks… and invite others to partake in the buffet.
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