Mind over Matter: does it matter?
An example of how we really do own our lives.
We were invited to our friend’s 25th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, 21st November.
English pub
It was in a local pub and they had invited many friends, some of whom we had not seen for many years.
One friend had started his own architect business, built it up over the last 10 years and, although he had lost a large amount of work because of the recession, things seemed to be picking up.
I mentioned that my work had dropped off dramatically since the summer. He said:
Well, Jon. You can make your own mind up what you do. You can either decide you’re going to go bankrupt or you can decide that you’re going to succeed – in spite of everything.
For some reason, that short conversation had a huge impact on me and I realised that it really is mind over matter and once we make our mind up about something, good or bad, it tends to happen.
By Jon Lavin
Paul Handover
That really is so true, even in life and death decisions by the ill. I’ve seen people struggle with being unemployed over the last year; things will happen when they make up their mind that nothing is going to stop them. They are going to refuse to take part in the recession. We hear if from sport psychologists who tell their athletes to “envision winning” and it happens, counselors who tell their clients that things will get better if they have a plan and stick to it, avoid the ways of the past. It even happens in movie scripts, like “build it and they will come.” My mother, bless her heart, was in the convalescent hospital for months while they tried to diagnose exactly what was wrong with her. She would psyche herself up into thinking that each week was her first week there — whether it was in reality the 30th or 40th week there. She’d have a better outlook, would be more interested in looking around for the details she hadn’t noticed before, and just generally be in a better disposition. I always admired her creativity, perseverance, and mental discipline in spending those many months convalescing, not knowing which month or year she might get to see her home again.
Sherry Jarrell
November 28, 2009 at 00:52
Hi Sherry!
I liked your comment.
In all the work I do on myself and with other people, whether in the area of mental well being or at work, I see this mind over matter thing come out time and time again. The more I discover about my way of seeing the world, the more patterns I see in the way I think about things and, of course, you get what you believe in and think about – good OR bad, and that’s the rub! I have recently started to remember one of the first lessons in “A Course in Miracles” and that is, “My thoughts don’t mean anything”.
My kind regards
Jon
Jon Lavin
November 30, 2009 at 06:03
Sherry, interesting to note that we can comment on Posts before they are available to the wider readership!
As John L said the other day, “You haven’t failed until you stop.”
Paul Handover
November 28, 2009 at 08:05