Have you ever felt like your emotions and thoughts are a runaway train, and you’re just trapped in the passenger seat? As an online life coach, I often see people struggling with this very issue. We want to reach a destination of peace and success, but our “mind” seems to have other plans.
Today, I want to talk about a fundamental aspect of personality development and mental health: taking back the steering wheel of your life.
The Heart of a Mouse
There is a famous story about a mouse who was terrified of cats. He prayed to God, and God turned him into a cat. But then, he became terrified of dogs. So, God turned him into a dog. Then, he feared tigers, and God made him a tiger. Finally, the tiger confessed he was terrified of hunters.
At this point, God said, “No matter what I turn you into, you will always be afraid, because you still have the heart of a mouse.”
Many of us are living like that mouse. We change our external circumstances—our jobs, our cities, our clothes—but we don’t change our internal state. My first question to you is: Is your heart your master, or are you the master of your heart?
MUST WATCH
Train Your Mind Like a Child: The Secret to Focus and Self-Control
Think of your mind as a small child. If a child starts controlling your life, making every decision based on a whim, things will turn into a mess very quickly. On the flip side, if you neglect the child or feed them wrong information, they will suffer.
Your mind needs a wise parent. You must learn to observe your thoughts and guide them. Often, we get distracted and leave a video or a book halfway through because our “inner child” gets bored. But if we want to grow, we must discipline that mind.
I remember when I had to balance my three biggest priorities: my children, my work, and my spiritual practice. My mind would often wander toward stress or time-management issues. I had to consciously train my mind—telling it where to focus and when. I even practiced this with my beloved dog; I had to manage my time so I wouldn’t fall into a cycle of over-attachment or neglect of my other duties.
Checkout: Embracing Personal Growth with Mental Health Coach
Two Powerful Lessons in Mind Control
- The Power of Command (The Story of the Merchant’s Son)
There’s a story of a man whose young son was causing chaos in his shop, throwing customers’ hats and being a nuisance. He asked a wise sage for help. The sage didn’t scold the boy. Instead, he gave the boy a task: breaking wood with an axe.
By giving the boy a constructive direction, the boy’s energy was channeled. He stopped throwing hats because he finally had an “order” to follow. Our minds are the same. If we don’t give our mind a command—a goal or a positive focus—it will create its own “mischief” in the form of anxiety and overthinking.
Checkout: Mind Control: The Skill That Separates Successful People from the Rest
- The Illusion of the Rope
In another instance, a man couldn’t tie his horse because he had no rope. A wise man suggested he pretend to tie the horse. The man went through the motions, and the horse stayed still all night, believing it was bound. In the morning, the horse wouldn’t move until the man “pretended” to untie it.
Are you tied down by “ropes” that don’t actually exist?
“I’m not good enough.”
“I can’t do this.”
“Nobody loves me.”
These are imaginary ropes created by your mind. You aren’t moving because you think you are tied.
The Biology of Belief
Our mind is so powerful that it can physically change our bodies. There was a psychological experiment where a prisoner was told he would be killed by a cobra bite. He was blindfolded, and instead of a snake, he was simply pricked with a needle.
The result? The man died instantly. Even more shocking, his autopsy showed signs of toxins in his system. His mind created the reality of the poison because it believed it was there.
Take Action for Your Mental Health
If your mind can create poison, imagine the healing and success it can create if fed with positivity! Feed your mind with growth-oriented content. Act like a parent to your thoughts—guide them, don’t just follow them. Give commands to your day using time management. You have the power to change your “mouse heart” into the heart of a leader. If you feel stuck behind these imaginary ropes, I am here to help.