Be mindful of your blessings

To calm and centre your mind, start a practice of mindfulness

The mind is such a powerful tool, and while neurosurgeons have debunked the myth that humans use only about 10 per cent of its capability, you know you could be doing more than you are doing. Your mind is often underutilised because you aren't focusing it on the right things, aren't feeding it correctly and aren't using it the way nature intended it to be used. What does this mean? The mind can help you:
1. Become calm and centred
2. Learn new things
3. Investigate and explore
4. Accomplish tasks and goals
5. Direct you to beneficial outcomes and activities
6. Engage and delight you
But for many people, the mind stays stuck. It ruminates over negative events. It focuses on what should have been, could have been, and wasn't. It is self-defeating and self-degrading. The mind and the self-talk it offers is, for many people, its own worst enemy. This tool can be changed and leveraged in more positive and beneficial ways, but like any muscle, it takes practice and persistence.
Let's look at each of the mind's areas and consider steps you can take to strengthen this important muscle so it becomes a tool for good in your life:
. To calm and centre your mind, start a practice of mindfulness. At several points throughout the day, stop what you are doing and simply focus on your body. Turn your attention to what you are feeling, physically and mentally. Be aware of the thoughts going through your mind. Don't judge anything; just be in awareness. If you need to set a reminder, do so, but make this a practice at least 4 to 5 times throughout your day. This allows your mind to become calmer and more focused.
. To feed your brain, you need good food and healthy eating habits. There are many foods that are linked to healthy brain power; learn more about it. The other type of 'feeding' is continuing to learn and investigate. Keep your mind open and learn new things at least a couple of times a month, if not once a week.
. Use your mind as the homing pigeon it was intended to be. In other words, your mind will go in the direction to which you point it. If you stay focused on loss, or what you can't do or what won't happen, your mind will stay there with you. However, if you set a clearly defined goal, and point your mind there, your mind will help you travel where you want to go. Make your goals very clear and precise - quantitative and qualitative - so they are measurable and your mind knows exactly where you want to go.
. Do something each day that brings you joy and makes you happy. Find something that fills your soul - it could be watching a joyful show, seeing birds at a bird feeder outside your window, laughing with a friend, volunteering somewhere with animals, children or the elderly, calling someone whom you miss in your life, righting a wrong, donating a small amount of money to an important cause, or simply being mindful and aware of your blessings. Whatever it is, do it! Your mind will reward you by being at peace or happy even for a small amount of the day. Again, this can carry over and help you to orient toward peace and happiness more frequently.
You possess a great tool that can be used for your advantage. Choose to use it in important ways - starting today!
Beverly D. Flaxington teaches at Suffolk University. -Psychology Today