“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it”, Henry Ford
What is the most powerful machine known to human in the universe. Human brain. Just look at how different we are from every other animal. How different our lives from the first humans who lived long ago. Using our brain, we were able to shape the world around us to work for us. Why not use this infinitely powerful machine, your brain to work for you.
Brain vs Mind
What is the difference between brain and mind. Brain is the physical organ. Mind is the conceptual being that is formed by the circuitry of the brain. A computer is just wires and circuits. The software is code that makes the same hardware do different things such as mining bitcoins and controlling a rocket launch. Your mind is your software. Unlike computer software, our mind is not hardcoded, it is constantly learning and changing. Mind can be changed and controlled. The question therefore that needs to be asked is, “who is controlling my mind”.
Who is controlling you mind?
Short answer. Your environment. The physical environment. The social environment. Your history. The substances that you consume. Your relationship with pain and pleasure. For centuries, the powerful have tried to control the minds of the population to do comply. There is a reason why the bible was not translated from Latin and only priests were allowed to read and interpret it for the masses. It was a way to control thought. There were many priests who disagreed with the Vatican but they had no means to communicate their concerns. Martin Luther’s protests coincided with Gutenberg’s invention. This allowed his manuscripts to be reproduced cheaply and rapidly and spread across Europe. That see eventually grew to many protestant movements. Words control minds. By strategically communicating words to different people through social media, Cambridge Analytica was able to change the outcome of Brexit referendum and a U.S. presidential election.
The good news is that you can change every factor that can be used to control your mind. You can move to another place and change your surroundings. You can change your friends, acquaintances, and change how you interact with your relatives. You cannot change the past but you can change the way you interpret the events.
Some people are defeated by adversity while others are motivated by it. Nelson Mandela faced apartheid. Instead of accepting a lower status for himself and others like him, he chose to rise up and challenge the status quo. He derived strength from adversity.
The food you eat impacts yours mental capacity and mood. I feel more energetic after having a healthy breakfast and end up accomplishing a lot during the day. On days when I skip breakfast or grab junk food for breakfast, I accomplish little during that day and generally feel tired.
Many addictive substances damage your brain over the long-term. Such substances are very hard to give up so it is best to never try them in the first place. Alcohol, drugs, are smoking are the most commonly talked about substances but there are many others. Just say no to all of them. Then there are addictive behaviors such as binging on Netflix, gaming, watching pornography, and being on social media all the time. The danger of addictive behavior should not be underestimated. We are only beginning to understand its impact on minds but these are habits that keep our minds captive to the environment rather than letting our mind think and develop.
Our brain seeks dopamine. This what we get when we eat sweets, get a like on social media, or engage in other activities that we find enjoy. This has long-term harmful effects. Instead of nourishing the mind and body with healthy food, people are poisoning it with refined sugar and other toxic substances. Instead of spending their time to take advantage of their full potential, they are letting someone else hijack their future.
How to control your own mind
Learn philosophy. It will teach you to think for yourself. It is equivalent to taking the Red Pill (reference to the red pill in the movie Matrix). It is more difficult that it sounds but the rewards are enormous.
Whether you like it or not, you mind will pick up things from the environment. This is why you need to control your environment. Become friends with people you admire. Following them online. I listen to and read about the best minds, even if they died centuries. I read the writings of Confucius, Socrates, Plato, Lao Tzu, hundreds of other wise people. Over time, I began to realize that many of their teaching converge into the same idea even though they are separated by centuries and thousands of kilometers. If I am to seek wisdom, why not do it from the wisest.
Meditate. It sounds cliché and religious but it doesn’t have to be. Simply sit on your couch and let your body relax for a minute. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and focus on your breathing. You will get many other thoughts but simply push those thoughts away by saying “not now” or “later”. Think about what you want to become, what you want to accomplish in your life, and you are going to be doing about it today. Just think about today. Stay in the present. Don’t regret the past. Don’t worry about the future. If you live every present day optimally, the future will take care of itself. Try this 3-5 min exercise for 30 days. You will be amazed at how it changes your mind and what you are able to accomplish.
Use pleasure and pain perception to shape your mind and habits. Associate junk food with sickness in your mind. When I see a cigarette, my mind shows me a sick old man coughing blood. Use your bad habits to motivate you instead. If you have a sweet tooth, only let yourself eat a chocolate after you have completed something important that you don’t enjoy doing. For example, after studying for an exam.
Learn to think for yourself. Create a mind for yourself that will propel you to achieve the impossible.