mind over matter.
“the mind is a terrible thing to waste” -
Ronald Steele (my father)
most people challenge me when I say this, but I am a firm believer that your thoughts create your reality. I think a person’s resistance to this truth is rooted in an inability (or flat out unwillingness) to believe that we are in the driver seat of our lives. we have the power to chart our own course; it’s the gift (or curse) of free will. when you decide that you want something in this life, this means your actions must align—no delay. and yet, this notion forces one to not only consider what they really and truly want, but they must also consider what they are willing to do to attain what they want AND what they’re unwilling to do; especially if it means it will delay (or cancel) the manifestation of their desires.
if we dig deeper (and we will), what this boils down to is discipline. discipline not only of the mind, but of our actions.
let’s dig.
I have always been pretty determined. when I reflect over the course of my life, I can name countless instances when my determination has been my life’s corrective measure and ultimately outlasted any perceptions of disbelief and doubt. yes, disbelief and doubt creep in, but I keep going. I will literally “throw something on the wall and see if it sticks”. with that, at this point in my life I have experienced, endured, and defeated so many life lessons that I have proof that God is always operating on my behalf and things are unfolding just as they should and when they should.
and guess where my determination comes from? my faith in God and therefore the God within. I know without a doubt that anything I put my mind to is bound to manifest. the quicker I accept that my desires will manifest, the quicker they manifest—almost always. any delays I encounter, I trust that God is simply preparing me for my manifestation or preparing my manifestation for my arrival. it has become a knee jerk reaction for me to course correct my mind/thoughts in this way. I choose to surrender to this notion and ultimately detach from HOW the manifestation takes form. but everything starts with my (intentional) thoughts, beliefs, and choices.
I can recall times that even with tears in my eyes, I declared victory over my circumstances. with my back against the wall, I tapped into my imagination to envision the circumstances I wanted to experience—the circumstances I KNEW I would experience—and with massive conviction. i’m talking “unshakeable faith”. even when things in your reality seem to conflict with your inner knowing, you just have to know. and the best way to sharpen that inner knowing is to become in tune with yourself. whatever that looks like to you.
my father was right, the mind is a terrible thing to waste. and that’s because your mind is a muscle that’s always flexing. no matter how paramount or frivolous, thoughts are always being created within the mind. the key, or challenge rather, is being able to sift through or compartmentalize the not so great thoughts and have laser focus when it comes to the thoughts you want to maximize. suddenly you’ll notice how your outer world will end up mirroring all of that back to you. as within so without. it’s law.
if your mind is chaotic and scattered, the outer world will be a reflection of such. contrarily, if your mind is a garden filled with intentional ideas that you’ve carefully and delicately planted, your outer world will overwhelm you with infinite opportunities that you will have the power to choose or reject. do you understand how delicious life becomes when you own your journey in this way? or how freeing it is to release the idea that life is happening TO YOU and accept that life is actually happening FOR YOU? and because you’re actively choosing and creating with God? it’s redeeming, to say the least.
once i learned how to blend determination with discipline, that’s when the real magic started to happen. opportunities were drawn to me in the most miraculous ways, and I could only give credit to God. I am continuously humbled by God’s favor over my life. even more, I thank God for holding me through the valleys of my life when I lacked the self-confidence to yield to discipline.
yes, we have the power to determine what we want and actively pursue it. but real freedom is understanding that God is in control of how this all plays out. it’s a balancing act, but it can be done. I trust in the divine intelligence that is mine to access at any time. I know that my intuition is my internal compass to navigate this life, and is therefore the vessel through which God orders my steps.
sure, things can go left at a moment’s notice. it’s the beauty of life. but, trust that you have the tools to navigate the storms of life and embrace your ability to THINK and SPEAK yourself into a brighter day.
oh look—here comes the sun.
— mytenofcups
special shout out to my 8th grader world studies teacher who mandated that we memorize and recite “Invictus” for a passing grade. its meaning is even more powerful as a person who has weathered many storms:
