The Mind: The loop that keeps on taking…

I want to start this stream of consciousness off by saying I do not have a college degree, nor have I studied neuroscience or been a part of anything academia has to offer about learning the brain or, why we de do what we do. Its kind of a new found obsession and fascination that I am eager to explore more and more. Some will say well, why should I listen to a guy who has no education in a field that he wants to give information on? My answer is… Don’t. I am simply a human being who is aware, otherworldly curious and a deep of thinker. I also happen to love the act of  research. Most of the research is a sifting through of ones own life experiences to come up with these thoughts and ideas that I will share in this brief dialogue. I’m grateful to have you here as a reader and Im grateful to be a vessel.

If you are anything like me at my young age of 35, I’m almost certain you have a favorite artist, a favorite book, a favorite podcast, a favorite scent that feels like a way to identify who you are. Im a chai latte with oat milk kind of guy, lol. I enjoy a clean organized space, I have a serious relationship with Jesus Christ and a more unserious relationship with myself ( I’ll explain later) I love thought provoking music and melodies and musicality. I love style and clothes in a way that feels inappropriate at times. I grew up in the church so I love a good chord progression and well programed drums. I love books and reading, I love to laugh. I love being a father its such a crazy thing to experience. I also love overcoming challenge. I love being faced with an impossible task just to say I made it happen. Ive also made countless mistakes, I mean COUNTLESS and have failed at sooooo many things, some of which I’m still failing at. I’ve been very hard on myself and tend to try to have it all together before I show up. You know that feeling…If you didn’t buy the best gift or a gift at all you can’t show up to the birthday party. Or, feeling I need to be completely healed to be a better person or the thought that healing is a destination instead of a journey that you do in community and isolation not one or the other…that topic is for another journal entry at another time. I also love organized chaos. I’ll never forget standing front line in Cleveland, Ohio the summer of 2021 to protest when senseless murders of black men and women were taking place all over the country. Riots breaking out, smoke bombs flying in the air, police cars set a blaze with enormous fires filled with rage and anger. Loud screams and the cries of the hopeless piercing through all the emotions being displayed at such a time. With all of that going on, there was an overwhelming  display of unity. I was standing in solidarity with complete strangers who were hurting just like I was. Memories, so many memories over the course of my short 35 years of living thus far. In the past, and when I say past I’m talking 6 months ago, I would have said yes that is exactly who I am. A chai latte sipping, mistake making, music lover who likes to protest with my fellow brothers and sisters. That is the furthest thing from the truth if you decide it is.

Lets go deeper. Dr. Joe Dispenza a scientist, teacher, lecturer and author who does immense study on the brain said this very simple but powerful statement in a podcast episode with Jay Shetty .. “THE MIND IS MADE TO REMEMBER” …I was so taken aback by this statement that it has stuck with me for years. So being who I am, I had to make sense of what this meant to me. Life happens and happens fast …If we aren’t aware and do not understand the power of the mind we will become victims of mental suffering and entrapment that will be reflected in our physical lives. Walk with me as I try to explain…your thoughts and ideas of whats real and possible for the most part are based in what happened in the past. Whether that’s a bad break up or relationship that didn’t turn out the way you wanted, a business endeavor gone bad that left you broke or with out proper help, a bad experience at a restaurant etc. Its even more engrained if these experiences have repeated themselves over and over and over and over and over again. Its a programming of the subconscious that we don’t even realize is happening. Im going to jump all over the place for a second so bare with me. Like I said at the beginning I am no expert when it comes to this topic but also when it comes to the format of how things should be wrote. I am simply doing what I felt compelled to do. So take “small talk” for example. We all dislike small talk and here’s my reasoning as to why.  It’s usually purposeless conversation about things that either don’t matter or things we are already aware of. The doubling down on the obvious seems pointless and rightfully so. The mind is made to remember. Subconsciously this is exactly what most of us do. We use the present moments that we have, where we have breathe in our lungs, a mind to reason with, spirit and vitals that are operating properly to spend it doubling down on the obvious. The mind is made to remember. We often wake up thinking about what happened yesterday, we gather with family and friends to talk about past moments more than present moments, we allow the past to dictate how we move or operate in the present. I am not and will never say any of this is wrong because we are all guilty but, I would like to suggest another perspective that will perhaps better serve who you are now and who you want to be. That perspective only exists in the now and the beautiful things that are attempting to change your way of thinking. Thinking that has you bound to the past and bound to identity of yourself that is not true. Think about what it takes to create something new… a work of art, a new concept. A child for example is a 9 month (sometimes longer or shorter) process filled with many emotions and feelings. Happiness, pain, anxiousness, worry, fear, joy, gratefulness the full spectrum. Now think about what effort it takes to repeat the same thing over and over that you’re use to…doubting, fearing, creating problems that don’t actually exist, self shaming, worrying, self sabotaging … these things take little to no effort at all. Which is why the present moment is the only moment that matters and the changing and conditioning of the mind to no longer be bound to an identity that was built subconsciously through circumstance and time. We do not see things as they are we see them as we are and we are allowed to put effort towards changing that. You are what you think you are, what is possible starts with what you think is possible.

We would all be doing ourselves and injustice to think everything will happen the same. To think that we are suppose to be the same. To approach each situation already creating the reality of it being the same outcome by thinking so first. The mind is made to remember. The mind is also a muscle and with the intentional proper training can and will change the way you think. What we have to learn to do is to be completely open and to trust spirit to lead and guide us along our journey. Be open. When you get in your car is the first thing you think about getting into a accident ? When you sit down at a restaurant are you filling your mind with worry about getting sick from food poisoning ? When you work out are you hoping you strain a muscle ? Are you really open to the now ? Do you understand the beauty of what is trying to pull you away from the mundane and known to thee unknown? Are you so hard pressed on what has happened to you that you don’t fully enjoy what good and generous gifts you have right now? You are creating your reality good or bad by what first allow the mind to believe and then by acting on that belief. This happens both ways. If you continue to put the energy into thinking and saying you are not ready to start the business or do the thing or enter a new relationship you will never be ready. If you continue to think and say nothing ever works out for you it won’t ever work out for you. Proverbs 18:21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruits”

Do I love a good chai latte with oat milk? Absolutely! Is that who I am? Have I made and continue to make a ton of mistakes? YES! Is that who I am? Nah brah! We have to be willing to let go of the normal for new information and new perspectives to fully submit to the now. The mind for many of us has been the loop that keeps on taking. Taking our joy, peace, value and identity every chance it gets. That’s not true. Yes it will be hard but so is living the same lie over and over. We have power to change the loop and become something brand new. To see life the way we want to see it. To break those old thought patterns and lies we tell ourselves. You are ready, you are capable, you are loved, you are enough. Im thanking myself for taking time out of my day to do this and Im thanking you the reader for being present enough to read it. LOVE!