Mind over Matter

"Whatsoever the mind of (wo)man can conceive & believe it can achieve." W. Clement Stone. Or in laymans terms, "mind over matter."

It is true, the mind controls us emotionally and physically in ways we are only just beginning to discover scientifically. The ancient traditions of India and China have know it for centuries. We dismiss it at our cost.

Stilling the mind, appreciating quietness & solitude are skills that we have lost in the 21st Century. Listening to the world around us, not attacking our senses with all the gizmos & technology available to us & everybody else, is all but a vague memory. In the Western world we are putting ourselves at real risk by sensory overload. We are constantly "doing" rather than "being".

This is the time of year to really appreciate our world & the peace available to us within it. Spring this year is achingly beautiful. The pallette of sharp, clean, greens. The endless variety of leaf shape & form. The wondrous blossom & flowers. The hum of bees & the song of birds.

If we don't experience stillness & quiet in the moment how can we hear the messages our mind is telling us? How do we give ourselves the time to reflect on our lives & what we are, or are not, doing? Our sins of omission & commission. How do we question our assumptions & our actions if we are constantly bombarded by our lives?

In order to believe in ourselves & our capacity to achieve our goals we need to think. You can't think in the babble of the 21st Century. I wish we could all change gear & slow life down. I wish we could think about what we want to be, as individuals, as communities, as nations and as a world. Then maybe we might be able to be better. Maybe we might really change things.