It is said that nothing is as powerful as a changed or renewed mind. The importance of the mind is also highlighted by many past and present iconic leaders who spoke about it in their music, speeches and preaching. Dr. Myles Munroe noted that “nothing [in life] changes until your mind changes.” Bob Marley eloquently sang, that “We have to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind.” Mahatma Ghandi was quoted as saying that, “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” Even Albert Einstein had something to say about the mind when he intimated that, “The world as we have created is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” The general thesis is that if we want to live a more purposeful and meaningful life we have to change our mindset and thinking.
From a biblical perspective we are advised not to conform to this world but we must be transformed by the renewing of our mind. The Bible adds that it is with the mind that we serve the Lord. It is no secret that the devil fights us in our mind. He wants to confuse us with fear, stress, anger and worry. You will encounter constant attacks by the enemy especially if you are called by God to do work for Him. One would have to deal with this conflict in a non-emotional way. Leadership is a voice of reasoning, according to T. D. Jakes, and we must be rational, not emotional when we are called to fix something. Jakes argued that, “Because of your faith and conviction you will become a target especially if your job is to change the status quo in society.” The devil and his spiritual wicked forces, in high places, will attempt to intimidate you and hinder your progress. One must be mindful that it is a spiritual warfare and “no weapons formed against you will prosper, and every tongue that rises against you in judgment shall be condemned by God.”
Many people express the view that life sucks, which is a terrible way of prophesying your life. It is argued that your life does not suck, but it is our mindset that sucks. The more you think about your problems, the more you anchor them in your subconscious mind. Let me add also that, as practicably as possible, we should avoid unhealthy thoughts such as envy, jealousy, bitterness, greed and selfishness from getting into our subconscious thinking – that is – in our heart. It is dangerous when we allow ourselves to meditate on these thoughts, constantly, that can result in the beginning of an evil being. The Scriptures says that, “As a man thinketh in his heart , so is he.”
Many Lifestyle Coaches, Motivational and Personal Development Speakers use “Affirmations” to help inspire, coach and motivate their clients.When one talks about doing affirmations, “the notion is to consciously choose words that can either help to get rid of something in your life or develop something new in your life.” In other words, you are taking responsibility for your subconscious mind and controlling what you allow to be embedded in your heart. Internationally renowned Motivational Speaker, Les Brown, opined that, “How people live their lives is a result of a state of mind, and that you do not get in life what you want, you get in life what you are.” We have to maintain and retain a positive mindset in life. Failure to do such will result in the other side of the coin, a negative mindset, which can be debilitating and can slow our personal and professional development.
We have to make it a choice to think happy thoughts and speak positively no matter what persons think of us. We can either curse or bless our future with our thinking and the kind of words that come out of our mouths. We have to develop the habit of positive thinking and speaking positively. We cannot have a positive life with a negative attitude. Many people can say anything to ridicule you. Others may meet you and say unpleasant things to you. Your response should be an “unruffled silence that is often the most eloquent response to unkind words.” However, what you say about yourself is most important. There is an African Proverb that says, “If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm.”
So how can one obtain and maintain a positive mindset or a renewed mind? I suggest the following:
1. Read and meditate on the Word. Start by reading the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
2. Listen to at least 30 minutes of motivational talk on YouTube daily, preferably in the morning as you wake up.
3. Watch less television and curtail the amount of time you spend on Facebook and other social media sites.
4. Associate with people you can learn from both mentally and spiritually.
5. Set goals for your life and renew them from time to time, and be bold by stretching your vision.
6. Find a Mentor. If you cannot get a real person, there are many on YouTube that you can learn from.
7. As soon as possible find out your purpose in life. When you do, your life becomes more meaningful and powerful.
8. You may have to make the hard decision to spend less time with some friends because their interests do not align with yours.
9. Make up affirmations of your own. Always starts with “I am “. For example, I say to myself, “I am the head and not the tail” and “I am more than a Conqueror.”
Remember you cannot control what happens to you, but you have control over your attitude to what happens to you and, in that, you will be “mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.” Whatever the outcome, do not allow people’s opinion of you become your reality. Lastly, no one can hurt you without your permission, and with a renewed mind you are unstoppable.
