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The Power Of The Mind

The mind is very powerful. You can do whatever it is you want to do. The only reason you do not do something is because you “think” you cannot do it. Even people who have disabilities in their arms and legs can do what they make up in their mind that they want to do. I mean, it may take them longer to achieve their goal (i.e. a special wheelchair may be needed for the activity, speech synthesizer, braille, etc.) but it can be done. If a disabled person has an individual(s) supporting him/her to recognize their potential/desire then the dream can become a reality.  You, anyone, can do whatever it is you want. No matter what your age. You can make it happen for yourself.

My point is, if you can see it in your mind, if you can visualize it, see yourself doing it then you can make it happen. The question is how BADLY do you want it? When you can see yourself doing something I believe that is God telling you, you can do it. You have a gift. If you enjoy doing something, it is easy for you to do, you can spend hours doing it and not think anything of the amount of time that has gone by, that is your gift. Your niche, your thing, whatever you want to call it. I believe a higher power (for me that is Jesus Christ, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) speaks to me and blesses me. I believe HE will help me make my dream(s) come true, what I see myself doing in my mind. But the secret is, you have to go for the dream that you see for yourself, MAKE it happen. Whatever it is….singing, dancing, going to school, going back to school. Whatever. Don’t let someone tell you it is not possible, or that you should wait. If you want it, then go for it. Only someone who has the same dream(s) that you do will understand the way you feel. So to achieve your dream, it is important to connect to someone who shares your feelings, join a group, club, something that can encourage you to go forward and reach your vision. You may not be to the point where you can follow your dream full-time, you may only be able to give it two hours, or four. But it is a start. You do something with it every day. 

Now when I say you can do whatever you want, you can, but you have to want it so bad that your will power kicks in, and you MAKE what you are visualizing, happen. Keep in mind there are consequences, in doing what you want. Sometimes it is a positive consequence and sometimes it is a negative consequence, but there is a consequence to everything that is done. For example, you need extra money and you have always wanted to start your own business, so you decide to take the leap and do it. You enjoy being outside/landscaping, so you decide to have a lawn service cutting grass. You already have a lawnmower from cutting your own grass. But you want to spread the word to your neighborhood block and others. The easiest thing to do is print up flyers but you don’t have a printer, but your neighbor does. Since you need every penny you can get for bill payments, you are not going to give him or her money to do the printing, so you barter (trade). You have an old television you do not want, your neighbor fixes electronics and needs a television. Your neighbor does the printing for you, helps you pass out the flyers to your neighborhood, and s/he get a like-new television. You made your dream come true with a successful grass cutting/snow removal business and your neighbor has a great television. This is a positive consequence, to your action of going after what you want. If someone tells you cannot do something and you believe them, passing up an opportunity to make your dreams come true, that is not their fault, it is yours for believing/listening to the person. 

The negative consequence will be that you give into temptation and have a second piece of cake which will lead to weight gain and a cigarette would lead to an addiction and cancer. But you don’t care if you gain weight or develop cancer because the cake and cigarette (or item of your choice) tastes good, and right now the mores of society say the weight gain is good (i.e. heavy set celebrities). So you are happy. But wait…that’s not right, because you said eating the piece of cake and smoking the cigarette is a negative consequence…and they are. The piece of cake has caused you to indulge in other foods that cause the weight. So now… you don’t have the energy you used to have, your arms and/or legs hurt, sometimes you have trouble getting your breathe, and going up and down stairs is difficult. The brain gets used to the cigarette nicotine so you have to smoke more to get the same enjoyable feeling. The nicotine is so addictive that there are commercials about it, like the lady who had her toes removed because she would not stop smoking, or my grandmother who was told by her doctor, "If you don't stop smoking, we will cut your leg off." She became an amputee (nicotine narrows blood vessels). In this case, the consequence of doing what you want is exposing yourself to a heartattack, stroke, diabetes, highblood pressure, cancer and amputation. Why do that to yourself just to feel good for a few hours? Don't fret. You CAN lose the weight and you CAN stop smoking. You have a powerful weapon at your disposal…your mind. You have to train your mind…., draw on your will power to lose the weight/stop smoking. It CAN be done, but you have to want it bad enough, don't give into the temptation to eat what everybody else is eatting, or just not as much. Drink water, chant to yourself, walk outside, chew gum, do what is necessary to get past the craving /desire. You will be able to lose the weight/stop smoking. You may be thinking it is too difficult, too painful, too much of a hassle…well, the things that you want in life are. But it will be worth it, and deep down inside you know I am right.

                                     

Your resolve MUST BE GREATER than your desire to give into temptation. You will feel such confidence and accomplishment when you reach your goal, to feeling better. I truly believe this. And you know why? Because I am a living walking example of what the mind can do. I have a porencephalic cyst in my brain filled with fluid that is pushing on the nerves that control my right side (cerebral palsy like symptoms). My right leg is shorter than my left so I have a slight limp. So as an older adult I am now doing what I should have been doing as a teenager and young adult, using my mind to get past my anxiety of what I cannot do, or what other people told me/tell me I could not do. I am working with myself, my muscles to do the things which come naturally to other people. You can do the same thing. You CAN reach whatever goal/dream you want. You can conquer whatever challenge you are struggling with. You just have to want to do it bad enough. Don't say I can't…because you CAN. You just have to find a way to do it. If I can do it, you can do it. The writing of these words is helping me, because I am talking about it. I am doing everything to conquer my fear of anxiety. Yes...., I have anxiety, and I am just tired of having this anxiety, so I am forcing myself to overcome it. It’s a struggle everyday, to keep from slipping back into my comfort zone. I am doing it with my MIND. I wrote an article with a detailed step-by-step recording of what I am doing. You can read it here. If I can do it, you can do it. Don't get side tracked, don't put it off with excuses like I need extra money, don't let other things get in the way. If you want it bad enough you will find a way to make it happen. You have to conquer your fear and step out on faith. Doubt is the killer of dreams. Read and listen to my story for inspiration, just replace my struggle with yours. You have the inner strength, you just have to tap into it. 

So pursue your dream/your passion and reap the benefits of the positive consequences that come along. And for the negative consequences you may encounter, change the way you think about them, see them as learning experiences and keep going. Know that you can figure a way around them with the power of the mind whether that be asking others for help or figuring it out on your own. Believe you can do it and you will. 

You can do it….. with the power of the mind. 

Sources referred to in article:

Canva. Canva, 2013, https://www.canva.com

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020, March 23). CDC: Tips From Former Smokers - Rebecca C.: Unbelievable [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5wtP4aJbjM

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2022, March 24). SMOKING AND YOUR HEART How Smoking Affects the Heart and Blood Vessels U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart/smoking

Williams, Lisa Y. (2023) StressFreeU2. https://www.stressfreeu2.com

Disclaimer: The point of this article is to emphasize that a person can overcome their doubt/fears and reach their dreams with the power of their mind. This article should not be taken out of context. It is for inspirational purposes only. 

UPDATE:

Watch Video Inspiring You To Go After Your Dreams