The Balance

Here is something that you can try just for fun.

Close your eyes and then walk a straight line, with one foot placed directly in front of the other. Be careful, because you might fall over. It is not that easy for everyone to do.

Maintaining a balance in all aspects of our lives, at all times, is extremely important.

Physical balance is only one part of the balancing act in our lives. There is also our mental, emotional and spiritual balance that must be taken into consideration.

Is your lifestyle in healthy balance? If not, why not?

Interestingly, our minds and thought processes play an important part in the total picture of balance, as do various other aspects of our general health and the environment in which we live.

We instinctively know when something is out of balance, even though we may not necessarily know how to fix it.

We often try to regain our balance and may even succeed, at times. At other times, our efforts only make things worse, particularly when we knowingly or unknowingly turn to something that may be potentially harmful to us.

Our minds continually lead us towards perfecting the greater picture of balance, in many different ways. Perhaps discovering and examining some of these ways further, might help us individually and collectively, to restore the balance in our lives.

I bet you never thought of your life as a balancing act. It is.

Just another thought for the day.

Love and Hate Pathways

If our thoughts were truly positive in their orientation, meaning that we always thought in terms of love or in a positive light, there would be no room for hate in our thought processes.

Somehow, that is not so.

When we begin to look at how we feel, we soon find out that we have a whole gamut of emotions, ranging from positive to negative. We have the ability to love or to hate in response to our thought processes. Our emotions are closely linked to our thinking.

We are blessed in being able to choose how we emote or express our motions. We are able to express various levels of emotion in response to how we think. Our emotional expression can also be controlled, at least to a certain extent.

Our minds are like a magnificent map, as the pathways of our thoughts and emotions work in conjunction with one another.

Just for fun, note your own thoughts in relation to your love or hate relationships. You are the one in control of them both and you can think in a positive way, express love as an emotion, instead of hate and perhaps save yourself and others a lot of grief.

Try it.

Decision Making

We often make decisions on the spur of the moment, but not always. There are times when we stop and think seriously about something, before acting upon it.

The decision about whether to act or not to act, depends a great deal on our individual thought processes. We weigh the various aspects of our motivational thoughts including the pros and cons of action or inaction, as well as looking at the possible consequences of our decision in that regard.

Thinking can appear to be an overwhelming process at times, particularly when we are busy, or when it feels that we are in a brain 'overload' situation and have too much to deal with at that particular time.

That happens to everyone.

Let's face it. We cannot think about everything simultaneously, or act upon all of the things that motivate us, at the same time.

Our minds are extremely interesting in that they allow us to prioritize what we think about and decide to act upon. In other words, we have a selective thought processing system in our minds that allows us to make decisions.

The decision making process is an amazing part of the ongoing activity in our minds, as it also allows us to act in terms of priority. We can decide to act on one motivational thought at one time and another later.

We can also choose not to think about something until later, then recall it and think it through properly. Or we can just forget about it, if it is not something that is a priority to us. What we decide to think about or not think about, then act upon or not act upon, is up to us.

Do we have an on and off button for our thought processes?

In other words, can we just shut the thought process switch off and turn it back on later? Probably not a button, as such.

Perhaps the thought process switch is turned off in terms of consciousness and moral conscience responses, in those who choose to think about something else, other than that which needs to be acted upon.

Maybe there are times when some people just don't think at all?

Those who indulge in the abuse of alcohol, nicotine and substances of other kinds, may be turning off their thought processes, or altering their thinking in such a way that it does not allow or enable them to respond to motivation, even when they should.

The consequences of such inaction can be disastrous.

Individually and collectively, there are times when history records our decisions, coupled with our action or non-action. Perhaps that is why it is often wise to 'think twice' before making a decision about whether to act or not to act on motivational thoughts.

The Simple and the Complex

The ability that our thinking processes demonstrate with respect to sorting things out is virtually amazing, at times.

We can be aware of something relatively simple and have no difficulty grasping what it is. Suddenly, we realize that it has the potential to be, or to become, something more complex. We have the capacity to cope with the simple and the complex individually, as well as simultaneously.

For example, we can look at a Sudoku game in a book, or on a computer screen and instantly see, as well as comprehend the numbers posted there. We recognize it for what it is. That seems simple enough. Then, our minds switch over to 'game' mode, as we begin to fill in the missing numbers.

Or we have the concept of a 'stick man' in our minds. Suddenly, it becomes the framework for a sketch of a man.

Note that in conjunction with the simple and the complex thoughts in our minds, other talents, skills and abilities begin to surface, as well. Our mathematical skills surface in the game of Sudoku. When drawing, our artistic skills come to the forefront. Perhaps both of them draw from our memory banks.

We might wonder where these additional skills come from at that particular moment in time. Perhaps both of them have been dormant and are only challenged under the right circumstances.

What does this tell us?

Maybe we should keep challenging ourselves because motivational challenges awaken that which lies dormant in our minds.

What is your challenge of the day?

Is it something simple, complex, or does it have the potential for both? Can you take it even further and explore the other realms of your mind, at the same time?

Maybe you could and should act on it.

An Open Door

Miraculously, we get out of bed every morning, with an 'open door' to new thoughts.

Nothing is 'set in stone' or 'fixed' in our minds, in such a way that we have to think specific thoughts, at any particular time of a new day.

Is that not a good thing?

Whatever we choose to think is entirely up to us. This is not stating that people, specific events or a multiplicity of other things, will not influence how we think, feel and react that day.

Imagine a man trying to create a mind with total freedom of thought like that.

It would appear to be an impossibility for man and yet Matthew 19:26 tells us "...with God, all things are possible."

We open doorways to new thoughts in many different ways, often allowing our thoughts to go whatever direction they choose. We can also close our minds to certain thoughts or thought processes, if we prefer to do so. Sometimes, we do that, even unknowingly.

We can also choose to worship our minds, the power of our minds and our own thought processes, or our Creator. Opening our minds to the potential of thought processes that function in the realm of possibility, gives us more and more potential open doors, every day.

Being locked into the realm of impossibility is no fun. Closing our minds, closes doors and brings an end to possibility beyond that which is only human.

Found an new, open door of thought?

We can choose whether or not we want to enter that new, open door of thought. There is lots of room for exploration, if we just have the courage to step inside.

Life is an open door.

Explore it fully and enjoy it.

Weather

Ever wonder what we think about weather?

This morning dawned cold, wet and very windy. Tree branches were swaying every direction and they still are, a number of hours later. Gray clouds were piled high over the lake in the distance. Streaks of lighter colored clouds raced across the sky, to the south.

I had to hang onto the kitchen door on the north, when I opened it. That is how strong the wind was, at that particular moment in time. The wind could easily have torn the blind off, but I quickly raised it and managed to grab the door fast enough to keep it from banging against the railing.

Now, the sun is shining.

So much better, wouldn't you agree?

But, going outside briefly, it was still quite windy and cold.

How do our minds process all of that and give us total recall later?

Inside, I was not aware of the wind, other than an occasional gust now and then. The temperature was and still is warm in here, as the sun is coming in the living room patio door. There is peaceful, classical music playing in the background.

More total recall....perfect peace prevails.

Amazing, the power of our minds to register everything that has happened, is happening and process it according to the correct time frame.

What about the weather?

What do you think?

Panic Attacks

Ever have a sudden panic attack for no apparent reason? It can be a frightening experience for anyone.

Fear is a negative, emotional response to something that frightens us and the trigger behind panic attacks.

There are times when a person having a panic attack, does not know what he or she is afraid of.

For example, a man gets off the elevator on the fifteenth floor of a building and suddenly freezes mentally, emotionally and physically. He does not know why. Maybe he is experiencing a weird sensation related to the sudden change in elevation, but perhaps it has more to do with the reality of fear related to his pending job interview.

Fear is a protective mechanism that functions in our thought processes.

Three normal reactions to fear are fight, flight and paralysis. Depending upon the level of fear that we experience, it can warn us, protect us or result in paralysis leading to non-action.

Panic attacks result when fear becomes overwhelming, for whatever reason.

For example, an infant can experience a panic attack, when his or her parents turn off the light and leave the room. While there is really nothing for him or her to be afraid of, he or she senses a change in his or her environment.

A young child can panic when he or she sees a puppy coming towards him or her, as harmless as that puppy may be. Perhaps it is the movement that triggers his or her fear.

An older child may panic when he or she has to cross the street, even though there is no oncoming traffic. He or she may be recalling a previous, negative experience. A teenager can panic when he or she is confronted with a blind date, knowing that he or she is not ready to date yet.

A parent can have a panic attack, if suddenly a child is missing from his or her bed, even if that child is still in the room. An elderly patient may panic if he or she does not recognize his or her surroundings, or cannot find something.

It is important to recognize the difference between legitimate fears and non-legitimate fears, when it comes to panic attacks.

Mentally, we can understand the difference, as our thought processes are able to sort through what is going on in our minds, at any moment in time. Trusting our instincts and judgements is always important.

"Do not fear."

Some suggest that this is 'angel talk', but it is something to think about when experiencing a panic attack for whatever reason.

Recognize legitimate fears and those that are not and then re-act accordingly. Do not panic.