Do you mind???

If you remember the 70's, there was a popular television campaign and the tag line was "A mind is a terrible thing to waste". This campaign sponsored by UNCF provided young African American students with scholarships to attend one of it's member colleges. The ads featured voiceovers by Samuel L. Jackson and Ossie Davis and were quite powerful. The campaign has expanded over the years but the message remains - a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Our minds direct every aspect of our lives. We can convince ourselves that we are cold, hot, that we can or cannot accomplish something.....anything! What we feed our mind translates into how we face various situations. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I dislike two things - mornings and winter. I have an equal disdain for both. Once the temperature drops to 50 degrees, I begin counting the days until Memorial Day.

I face the approaching shorter days and lower temps with immense loathing. I can't control the change in seasons but I can convince myself that it shall pass and summer will once again prevail. The same with mornings - I have been trying to face the dawn of each day with optimism and gratitude for the opportunity to live another day. While I may never be a leap out of bed at 5:00 am person, I can redirect my thoughts to a more positive approach.

If we continue to always see the glass as half empty, we will never move forward. Every opportunity to pivot will be met with all the reasons why it won't work. I have a highlight tab on Instagram where I save various motivational quotes. None are earth shattering nor are they anything we haven't heard before, but it serves as a constant reminder to me of what can be. Just like I feed my body for fuel, I feed my mind with the fuel it needs to keep me motivated and moving forward. Sometimes I trip on the stairs and maybe fall back a couple, but I try to believe in myself that I can get back up and move on. When was the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror and said "I can do this"? When was the last time you put down the phone and read something to fuel your mind?

Feeling stronger mentally is what will help us attain our goals. A self development page that I follow on Instagram (@mindset.therapy) recently posted "99% of the harm is caused in your head, by you and your thoughts....most of the time, the problem isn't the problem. The way you think about the problem is."

Imagine if you could look at the glass as half full and allow it to direct your thoughts. Consider people who say "I always get a parking spot" vs people who say "I never get a parking spot". Both truly believe their thoughts and therefore act accordingly. Believing you will find a spot means you are on alert for someone leaving or heading to their car and you'll pull in. Believing you won't means you will haphazardly look around and be unsuccessful. The mind is a terrible thing to waste. This week, challenge yourself to find one positive thought to permeate your consciousness and be the driver of your thoughts. Reflect on the way that makes you feel and act. Use your mind to its potential and allow it to help you "live like...."