Cognitive Power

MELLOW MONDAYS-                                     THE MEDITATIONS WE ALL DO WITHOUT KNOWING IT.  

OFTEN PEOPLE FIND THEMSELVES FEELING STRESSED OUT OR DISCOURAGED AND THEY THINK THAT LIFE HAS TO BE THAT WAY, UNLESS THEY WIN THE LOTTERY. BUT OVER AND OVER AGAIN I FIND THAT WHEN PEOPLE HAVE SUCH STRONG NEGATIVE FEELINGS, IT TURNS OUT THAT WITHOUT BEING AWARE OF IT, THEY'RE EITHER PICTURING VERY NEGATIVE IMAGES OF WHAT THE FUTURE WILL BE LIKE, OFTEN BASED ON UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCES FROM THE PAST, OR  THEY'RE ACTUALLY SILENTLY TELLING THEMSELVES IN WORDS THAT NOTHING GOOD CAN EVER COME FROM THE PAST, AND THAT NOTHING GOOD WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
THAT WOULD BE REALLY DISCOURAGING ....IF IT WERE TRUE.BUT IT'S FALSE. MANY HEROES IN HISTORY LIKE FREDERICK DOUGLASS, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, AND MAHATMA GHANDI       HAD  HARD BEGINNINGS AND  GREAT STRUGGLES IN THEIR LIVES, BUT THEY AVOIDED MAKING NEGATIVE PREDICTIONS, USED THE HARD REALITIES OF THE PAST AS LESSONS, AND ENVISIONED, IN THEIR MINDS, THE POSSIBILITY OF ACHIEVING GOOD RESULTS, BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN AND USED THE NEW KNOWLEDGE TO  PLAN NEW STRATEGIES CAREFULLY.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT THEY DID WAS TO BE OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITY OF GOOD RESULTS, AND TO ENVISION THOSE RESULTS IN THEIR MINDS. THAT'S THE DOORWAY TO SOMETHING BETTER.
THOSE HEROES MADE A SILENT MEDITATION OUT OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCCESS. THAT'S SOMETHING WE ALL NEED TO PRACTICE WHEN WE FEEL ANXIOUS OR DISCOURAGED. TO MEDITATE, IN OTHER WORDS TO INWARDLY FOCUS OUR MINDS ON IMAGES OF SUCCEEDING IN ACHIEVING OUR GOALS, AND GO OVER THOSE IMAGES REPEATEDLY. TO PUT THOSE IMAGES INTO WORDS AND SILENTLY REPEAT THOSE WORDS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SOME PEOPLE THINK WHY SHOULD I DO ALL THAT? THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT WHEN THEY FEEL DISCOURAGED OR STRESSED OUT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THE SAME THING, BUT WITH NEGATIVE IMAGES AND DISCOURAGING WORDS.
WE ALL MEDITATE.
BUT IF WE WANT TO FEEL HEALTHIER, WE NEED TO CHOOSE THE THOUGHTS AND IMAGES ON WHICH WE MEDITATE, WISELY.
HAVE A MELLOW MEDITATIONAL MONDAY.

DALE J. ANDERSON, M.D.