Being Present is Life's Wonderful Present:

Part 1 - Your Mind is Not Your Enemy But Actually Your Best Friend

In part 0 #510829, I explained the reasons behind why I was motivated to start this series, as well as described how it helped me personally to visualize my health as a battery split into three levels, green (full of energy), yellow (moderate energy), and red (low energy). Within the post, I briefly touched on how each battery / energy level coincides with how your mind reacts and responds. In this post I aim to dive deeper into how I have learned to understand my own mind and how it acts according to what state my health and internal battery is in.

I'm actually going to start with the conclusion I have come to regarding the mind: it's not an enemy, but rather your best, most caring friend, always seeking what's best for you. For those of us who have had to battle our minds constantly, grappling with the negativity it conjures up and wishing our 'monkey mind' would just quiet down, you might be thinking, 'What is he going on about? The mind does nothing but hinder my life and constantly get in my way! How could it possibly be a caring friend when all it brings is negativity into my life?'.

But before you downzap me because your mind told you to, please hear me out!

The mind essentially serves as your brain's alarm system. As mentioned in Part 0, when your battery is full and in the green, the mind is much quieter, making it easier to focus on the present. When energy levels dip into the yellow, the mind begins to ring a couple of alarms in the form of doubt, slight anxiousness, or nervousness, signaling that your energy is draining and prompting you to recharge. If these warnings are ignored and you drop into the red zone of low energy, the mind amplifies its warnings and alarms, making it increasingly difficult to ignore the persistent voice in your head. From my experience, there's also a level below red, which is black (and near dead). At this stage, the mind lacks the energy to communicate, leading to a state of depression and numbness towards life.

Therefore, the mind is not your enemy but, in fact, your best friend. It communicates not to pester, annoy, or frustrate you, but because it cares about your health and well-being. It aims to warn you when it senses neglect of your health. The reason many of us struggle to quiet the mind is because we're not truly listening to its messages. We either ignore the alarms, creating a negative feedback loop where the mind's warnings are disregarded and the battery becomes further depleted with each loop, or we perceive the mind as an enemy, deepening our descent into darkness and depression.

Next time your mind starts chattering away, take a moment to pause and listen, and assess your state of health. How is your personal battery holding up? Is it in the green, edging into the yellow, or firmly in the red? Perhaps you had a rough night of sleep, and your mind is suggesting you take it easy, consider taking a nap later, or engage in something restorative like yoga nidra (#507215). Maybe it's time to reevaluate your diet or commit to regular exercise for the sake of your body and mind. Nowadays, my mind rarely activates its alarms because I ensure my battery is well-maintained and consistently kept in the green. Even so, I occasionally dip into the yellow and, on rare occasions, slip into the red. However, now that I recognize and appreciate my mind as a friend rather than a foe, I heed its valuable input and take appropriate action to restore my overall health to optimal condition.

In the upcoming parts of this series, I'll dive into protocols and practices that I've personally integrated into my life, fostering a harmonious relationship with my mind and a deeper appreciation for the present moment. And what better way to kick it off than with Part 2 - The Orange Pill, Bitcoin!