The Quick Mind 'Fix' That Takes a Lifetime

This is probably stating the obvious (but stick with me). We are living in the age of being able to get so much of what we want without waiting (you don’t say John).    I love the fact I can get a book on my kindle at the press of a button.  I can stream tunes instantly (well nearly instantly depending on my internet connection).   Buy a pair of trainers without having to think about it.  Now, this might not be good for my bank balance.  It might not be great for my appreciation of the things I get.  However, I can get them quick.

We’re growing used to getting things on demand. So why should this be any different to our mental wellbeing and a feeling of peace with our thoughts and emotions?  

Well in my experience there shouldn’t be, in fact there isn’t. We CAN find peace in the blinking of an eye.  However, in my experience, it’s not a ‘fix’ that’s required only a simple understanding. 

To be honest the title of this article is a bit misleading. There is no ‘fix’.  You don’t need fixed.  You’re perfect & the only thing that takes you away from the perfection you already are is you believing your thinking in the moment.  

·       The only time you feel anxious is when you engage with anxious thoughts

·       The only time you feel frustrated is when you engage with thoughts of frustration

·       The only time you feel sadness is when you engage with sad thoughts

·       The only time you feel less than whole is when you think  your lacking

I could go on but I’m sure you get the picture.

The same isn’t true for what we could class as positive states.  Yes we could think happy thoughts & there’s a good chance positive endorphins will stream though our body and allow make us feel good.  But you don’t have to be engaged in thought for that to happen & to be honest that take more work than is required.  Generally we feel at peace when we aren’t engaged in thought, it just happens.  Feeling at peace is our default setting when we aren’t caught up in our thinking.

So there is no ‘fix’ but there is an understanding that underpins everything.  No matter what your beliefs are and what things you do to help your mental wellbeing.  I like to think it’s like the Wizard of Oz (one day I’ll come up with a more up to date example).  Dorothy & her friends feared the power of the wizard for most of the story.  When they reached the Emerald city and spoke with the mighty Wizard, Toto the dog tipped the screen.  When they saw behind an old man creating the illusion of the Wizard, they lost all fear.  They understood he had no power over them & they could revert back to their true selves.

A lot of us do stuff as it good for our mental state. It might be listening to music, playing sport, watching sport, reading, going fishing, socializing, dancing, knitting, surfing, painting etc It could be more mind specific things such as meditation (which I love to practice and teach) or mindfulness.

All these things are great things to do & be involved in.  So if you love them, keep them up!  In reality though these aren’t the source of your mental wellbeing.  I’m sure there were times when you felt peace, confidence, love, joy & all that before you got into these things.  I’m sure there have been times when these haven’t made you feel as good as they normally do.

The only time we can benefit from any type of exercise/job/trick/technique/game or whatever you want to call it is when we are doing it.  Yes there might be a positive follow on for a bit but there’s also a chance there may not be. It all depends on the thoughts you engage in once you stop.

If anyone promises you 5 steps to happiness, or 7 steps to confidence, or how to stop anxiety.  I’d be very skeptical.  All our emotions are created through our thinking, all our thinking is constantly in flux and we have no control over what pops into our heads generally.  Everyones experience is unique to them. Every emotion is part of being human and the more we realise that & accept it the more they will keep coming and going naturally.  If the negative ones stick around it’s purely because we are either resisting them or engaging in thought about them.

So going back to the title what is the quickest mind ‘fix’ I know?  Well similar to Dorothy seeing the old magician behind the screen. Understanding that it’s just a thought creating your experience, nothing more nothing less.  A thought that if left alone, has no power over you at all. A thought that if you do nothing with it will move itself.  I’ve explained before in precious articles it will be replaced by new thought, new feelings, new experience.

It sounds very simple and it is if you let it be.

Why does it take a lifetime?  Because the only time we can experience anything is NOW.  Right this second.  This nano second.   This exact moment.  Again and again and again.  Anything you did earlier to feel good is now nothing more than a memory, that memory can only be experienced through thought.

It’s a bit like applying deodorant.  You apply and smell good, then eventually over a period of time (depending on the deodorant) you will develop new odours.  To smell good again you will need to reapply (unless of course, you like the more natural smells the body creates).  Most of us know we need to keep on re-applying or our life will literally stink.

So keep applying the understanding of what’s creating your experience.  It only takes a second but can change the rest of your life, moment by moment. No ‘fix’ required.