This is a thread for you to enhance your intelligence and creativity by developing your mind so that you are well equipped to excel in all the areas in your life.

Your mind determines what you do. Whatever you do comes from your mind. You think about something before you do it. Even things you do not consciously do comes from your subconscious mind. By understanding and developing your mind, you will be able to direct your behaviour the way you want it. Stay tuned!

The Power of Thoughts

Although somewhat exaggerated because of it's absolute tone, the maxim "Where there's a will, there's a way" holds a great deal of truth. Athletes know that beating a record is not a matter of mere physical training, but of nourishing the mind and thought. Likewise, to a great extent, the behaviour we adopt, the emotional states we experience, and even the illness we suffer from find their root in thoughts and thinking.

Environment (people, places, circumstances), personality ( optimism, suspiciousness, aggressiveness), together with memories and past experiences are the stimuli resulting in thoughts. People access them at will, and these thoughts lead them to an eventual reaction that may become of great significance to their lives.

With the exception of automatic reactions or repetitive acts, behaviours find their root in the preceding thoughts. Consider these three cases:

1. Before going to the time share agency, David never thought he would end up buying property. However, the environment, the kindness of the salespersons, the beautiful images of the apartments, the attractive financial plans, encouraged him to consider the option.

Once at home, David reflected on the offer, fantasized on the exotic holidays he would be enjoying along with the idea of selling the property or passing it on to his children and grandchildren. He signed the contract two days later.

2. Joyce went out for some refreshments together with two old girlfriends from secondary school. They thoroughly enjoyed talking about endless memories from the past as well as present life.

Once at home, Joyce contrasted her life with that of her friends. She pondered the details, went over the conversation, and concluded that her friends were luckier than herself. Soon she was taken by strong feelings of sadness, mixed with disappointment about her own accomplishments. This mood stayed with Joyce for several days.

3. Esther enjoyed a good relationship with everyone. However, a few months back, she had had a serious confrontation with her brother and they stopped talking to each other. She refused to reconcile as she had been deeply hurt by her brother's offence. When, in her mind she rehearsed the moment of the row, she experienced anger, her heart beat wildly and at times she felt nauseous.

The three cases above show a clear connection between thought and behaviour (or mood). What would have happened if David, Joyce and Esther had changed the course of their thoughts? Their conduct would have probably been very different.

In the end, everyone is in charge of their own thoughts. And, therefore, everybody can, with more or less difficulty, harbour, channel, elaborate, reduce or reject their thoughts. Stay tuned for more!

Bring it on

It is well know today that conventional intelligence is insufficient. Emotional intelligence, on the other hand, is being seen as increasingly valuable as this type of intelligence is closely associated to happiness. In order to develop this basic characteristic, one needs to learn perseverance, self-motivation, control of impulses, mood self-regulation, understanding and trust in others.

Ademat7:
Bring it on

Glad to have you on board.

The Different Dimensions of Human Beings

The holistic and indivisible nature of the human being is finding increasingly greater scientific and philosophical support. Yet, it seems clear that there are several dimensions that meet in a person.

1. The Physical Dimension: Human beings possess the necessary resources to maintain a healthful balance. Our organism is programmed with a number of biological clocks that indicate the beginning of organic processes. For instance, when someone reaches puberty, endocrinal glands initiate the secretion of estrogens in girls and androgens in boys. This triggers a sequence of physical changes that takes place at the right time for each individual.

The physical dimension is so basic that some end up believing that the human being is only physics and chemistry. This may be seen as an exaggeration, but it entails a principle that cannot be discarded. Good, healthy habits (physical exercise, adequate rest, balanced diet, contact with nature) are at the heart of a satisfactory life in all it’s aspects.

2. Mental Dimension: This dimension is even more complex than the physical one. It is rather intricate and therefore less known. Partly because of it’s complexity, partly because of it’s exclusiveness to the human being, it is the most valued dimension. It was mental life that triggered traditional philosophies to search for the ‘soul’ somewhere external the person’s body.

Today, it is known that the mind (located in the brain) has a physical substrate and controls all behaviors of the person. In fact, the brain is made up of one hundred thousand million neurons or nerve cells that carry information, initiate and maintain mental processes, retrieve memories, process data... Any mental activity of the human organism is associated with the work of neurons.

The interconnection of this immense network of nerve cells are almost infinite, and the more connections are made possible, the more mental capacity will be attained. Continuous mental activity to strengthen existing neural connections and to establish new ones is therefore recommended.

3. Social Dimension: Paradoxical as it may sound in the overpopulated world in which we live, there are deficiencies in the social dimensions. This is so not only because of the lonely feeling experienced by millions of people in the big cities, but also due to the loss of family identity and lack of social solidarity.

It is very important to understand that human beings, social by nature, are not really human until they integrate fully in their communities. The other dimensions feed from the social dimensions, as it provides a unique source of neural connections, a breeze of continuous ‘oxygen’ to the body and a means to the challenging demands of loving relationships.

4. Spiritual Dimension: First, it should be noted that spirituality and religiosity are not synonymous. Spiritual persons may not necessarily be religious, or vice versa.

“What is thought, that strange being, which lives in the depths of ourselves without consuming a measurable quantity of chemical energy? Is it related to the known forms of energy? Could it be a constituent of our universe, ignored by the physicists, but infinitely more important than light? The mind is hidden within the living matter, completely neglected by physiologists and economists, almost unnoticed by physicians. And yet it is the most colossal power of this world.” (Alexis Carrel, Physiology and Medicine Nobel prize winner, Man, the unknown, P.64, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1939).

Although embedded in the mental function, the spiritual dimension deserves treatment. Moral, aesthetic, and religious functions can be considered part of spirituality. The spiritual human facet, relative to the discernment between good and evil (moral), beautiful and ugly (aesthetics), and the relationship with God or transcendence (religion) is an undeniable component that has been present in all civilizations.

Human existence has multiple facets (physical, mental, social, spiritual) and all of them need a balanced and harmonious development. The excessive growth of one or two aspects without the corresponding development of others may produce limited individuals who find great difficulty enjoying life.

One cannot be reasonably happy without learning how to communicate with others. Communication is the key factor to build up and maintain relationships. Hurting words can damage friendships in minutes, whilst wise words, used with appropriate emotional tone, affirms people and contribute to lasting mental health.

Get used to controlling your own thoughts. In this way you will avoid inappropriate behaviours, will adapt better to situations, and will enjoy better physical and mental health. In sum, when you are governing your thoughts, you are building up your own happiness.

Mind Relaxation Techniques

Mental tension means a heavy psychological burden to many persons. Obsession over problems, uncertainty towards the future, mental fatigue, loss of memory and slow reasoning are associated features of the tense mind. What can one do to prevent these mental states and obtain peace and relaxation? Try the following:

1. Thinking. Reject catastrophic thoughts and focus your mind on positive and happy things. Learn to put aside sour and tense issues, albeit temporarily, until such a time as you can provide solutions.

2. Visualization. It will be much easier to reject unwanted thoughts if you have a theme or themes to substitute them. Use imagination to visualize your chosen topic in detail. Some think of the places where they grew up or in their adolescence and youth. Others concentrate on a certain experience of peace and happiness, or in past moments spent with a dear one.

Choose your own images and enjoy the details, put some color and movement; work in those places and situations. You will soon realize that your mind and mood find a point of quietness and serenity.

3. Self-instruction. Encourage yourself to reject troubling thoughts, instruct yourself with commands such as ‘Do not think of it Mary,’ ‘Don’t exaggerate it Victor,’ ‘You can take care of it tomorrow, Grace; think of something pleasant now.’

4. Social interaction. Seek the company of friends and relatives in order to distract yourself. If you have an introverted personality, avoid the natural tendency to remain alone with negative thoughts. Call a friend and chat, get out of the house and attend a social function where you are forced to converse with others.

5. Hobbies. When faced with mental tension, practice activities such as home repairs, gardening, collections, games and, very particularly, sports. Watching a funny movie or reading an easy book is also a good method to achieve mental relaxation.

6. Other options. There are a number of ways to bringing mental relaxation into your life, depending on your preferences. Try this:
 Sing a song or whistle a melody.
 Forgive wholeheartedly someone who has offended you.
 Go to a park or natural setting and listen to the birds singing.
 While seated or lying down, observe the water in a fountain, river or sea.
 Pay attention to cloud movement for a period of time.
 Rub your eyes with both hands and leave them closed for a few minutes.
 Look for an ant farm and observe their bustle.
 Carry out a conversation with a 4- or 5-year-old for a few minutes.
 Play with the dog or the cat.