“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he”. Or… You become what you allow your mind to dwell on… Tell me I am not the only one who paused right there to take stock of what my mind hones in on day in and day out, lol…
Ok, real talk… When we really slow down and evaluate our thought life, what do we find? We’re worried about the elections coming up, figuring out how to cope with the economy pummeling our bank accounts, maybe the newest iPhone coming out, and way in the back we’ve probably got the BK burger jingle stuck on repeat.
Did you know the average American is exposed to around 100 ads per day? 100 different “voices” demanding a slice of your brain power. What if we intentionally detoxed our thought life? What if we spent more time absorbing good things into our minds, and less time listening to the millions of voices vying for our attention? How could that improve our quality of life?
We constantly hear about living a low-tox or nontoxic lifestyle, there are millions of supplements to help our bodies perform at peak, and exercise is part of every person’s New Years Resolution. And these things are (usually) good and needed! But… What if we took it a step further?
Personally speaking- I always struggled with all the voices around me- my social circle, the talking heads on tv, the abandoned animals commercials... Everything had access and influence in my life, and it was chaotic and confusing…
But over the last year I have been led to limit my accessibility, and therefore limit how much I could be swayed in my thinking. Not to say I was led to be a hermit (although some days that does sound appealing!), but more along the lines of being very intentional and careful with who or what I allow to take up space in my thoughts and life. Not gonna lie- it hasn’t always been the easiest path to walk. But mannnnn, have I noticed the difference!
I’ve noticed that my attitude is gentler and more patient towards my family.
I’ve noticed more stability in my life, especially with my emotions.
I’ve noticed more peace, contentment, and happiness!
Ok, so that’s all fine, well, and good… But HOW are we supposed to detox and limit our “exposure” to all of the things? Here’s a few ideas I’ve used:
Turn off the tv
Limit time on social media (this one hurt!)
Make dinnertime a N.E.Z. (no-electronics-zone) time for everyone at the table
Put.down.the.phone (no, really!)
Ok, so now that we’ve got some ideas on how to ELIMINATE our exposure to things that take up valuable brain space, how are we supposed to put good things back INTO our minds (and homes)? Here are some things I have personally implemented:
Daily Bible reading/listening (I listen to a daily plan while I make breakfast)
Play music vs news (my go-to is worship music as we do chores and classical music while we eat dinner)
Practice being ok with quiet (still working on this one, lol)
Play scripture softly in the background (I usually have an earbud in while the kids do school)
Remember that you don’t have to be all things to all people all the time (it’s ok to NOT answer the phone if you know it’s not an emergency).
These lists are by no means exhaustive, and obviously each person is different, but if you truly approach this concept of “freeing up hard drive space” in your mind to allow for more things that truly matter to you and give yourself the time and space to learn these new habits, you’ll be surprised at how your outlook will improve, your days will become more peaceful, and you will find more joy in life.
I believe in you, my friend! Now get to work! ♥️
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