Why not renovate your mind?

We pay a lot of attention to our home and surroundings. Decorating and renovating of home spaces brings joy and excitement to such an extent that entire television networks are now dedicated to it.

Where do we really live? In our minds. Every sensory experience, every thought, every mood and every decision comes from our minds. Is yours the way you would like it to be? Are there things about your thoughts and behaviours that you would like to change? Similar to the desire to change the decor in rooms of your home, there are probably aspects about your mind that you would be keen to alter. But likely you have never considered that this was a possibility.

We can change our minds. There is plasticity to our brains neurologically but even more so, we can alter the way we view the world if we choose to modulate our thoughts and behaviours.

Sharon lived with a mind that made her life difficult. It was rarely quiet and seemed to constantly challenge her with negative thoughts and worries. She felt anxious about her kids and aging parents much of the time and she often felt off-centred in social situations. She came across mindful meditation quite by accident and attended an 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course which she found such a positive experience that she continued her meditation on a daily basis. Two years later Sharon can barely remember the mind she used to live in. She no longer wakes up feeling worried about the day ahead and she is able to be present with her family and enjoys day to day life. Sleep is no longer difficult for her and if she wakes in the night she is able to focus on her breath and return back to restful sleep. Her husband has noticed that she seems to no longer have a “short fuse” with the children. She feels content and not craving for more in her life.

Sharon has redecorated her mind. She now lives in a more comfortable, positive and relaxed place that she feels good about.

Considering that all it takes is 10+ minutes of being present each day in meditation … I think we’d all agree that this type of renovation is an incredibly good value. Invest in your mind. We can’t change the world around us but we can change our mind.

Reality is created by the mind. We can change our reality by changing our mind.      – Plato