The mind is its own place, and in itself,
John Milton
can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
Sometimes, I often wonder, who is chasing whom? Are we chasing our mind which imagines, wishes and desires…or is it that, the mind is chasing the heart, that feels! The canvas of this chase game is huge. It is no surprise then, that the lines get a little blurred at times.
Let’s begin with the mind. For the ones who live in their own world, say the introverts or any other befitting term, they build narratives in their mind and make their heart feel whatever suits their narratives. More often than not, this may not be the exact reality. Without diluting their feelings, a logical interpretation to such assumption is that their narrative is never challenged. So, if I think that people around me find me dumb. Obviously, my heart will not associate a happy feeling with the thought. This will become my narrative and reality which the heart will keep fueling with related emotions. Even when, I have people complimenting me for my intelligence, I will always attribute it to some of their vested interest! Again, this will reiterate a not so nice feeling in my heart. In a way, my existence becomes a slave of my mind.
There have been various studies about how the mind works. We may have some data around the origin of certain thoughts of positivity and negativity and our leaning towards either. But still, there can never be an exact mapping of the thoughts. That is how unique, vast and diverse a human mind is, as we all know. Hence, I refer to the mind as the mirage. One is always in quest of something. Sometimes along the line we may find supporters or detractors, if we share our thoughts. Otherwise, it’s a free run of our mind. A choice always exists though, the day you stop or the world makes you stop seeing the “other option” in your life. It is time to wake up and shake up your life to find traces of “what else” can I think and do. Until then, let the mind be on a quest/ on a run!
Moving on, let’s chase the heart. Some of us feel first and think later. The typical foot in the mouth types, extroverts/ ambiverts or plug in a new word. We feel, we speak/ stay silent (depending on our mood) and think later as to why we felt or said so…And be aware that the feeling is subject to change. This means that the associated after thought will also change. In conclusion, the mind is chasing the heart. It strives to think in line with what the heart feels. Here, there is always a choice to feel many things at a time or in phases. There is mostly no explanation of why one feels anything. Example: I have seen people smile during funerals and cringe during weddings. The common tendency is to adjust your feelings to the occasion, so if all are laughing, one also laughs but later the mind may be left confused at the mimicking action. Though, the interesting bit to lookout in ourselves or others is when we feel exactly opposite to the mood of the situation/ occasion. Ask others and yourself, why do I/you feel this way? Is it comforting? Can it be any different? Am I really present in the situation? To arrive at a conscious state and a spot of reality, it is important that there is a two-way traffic between the heart and the mind. Both should be able to chase each other equally; if possible. Be aware and Be in control. More power to every effort directed towards your mental well being 😊
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An explorer of life and Expresser of ideas (Su anda)