Finding Peace in a Pandemic…
by Randy Gage
How do you keep your head when it seems the whole world around you is going crazy? That’s probably a question many of you have been asking yourselves the last few weeks. In times like these, a great approach is to go back to James Allen and the principles in As a Man Thinketh. Let’s begin with a central tenant of the book:
“A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind.”
Your mind will bring forth. Whether cultivated or allowed to run wild. So what does that look like in 2020, in the middle of a worldwide pandemic?
Let’s start with the latter. How does running wild play out in a manic environment like today’s? Being fixated on cable news for hours on end. Interrupting whatever you’re doing for alerts on your phone 15 times a day. Getting distracted by the drama, so you forget to eat right, workout, and take care of your normal responsibilities. There is so much negativity in your social media feed, it’s almost poisonous.
And what would a cultivated mind look like right now? Waking up early, doing your cardio exercise, appreciating the sunrise, listening to my Power Prosperity Podcast or other positive material, then supplying your body with energy producing ingredients by eating a healthy breakfast.
Wolf Blitzer might implore you that, “Things are changing by the minute, so stay tuned to CNN,” but that isn’t really true. Yes, things are changing by the minute. Things are always changing by the minute. But that doesn’t mean you have to be there to witness them all. You can check the headlines to ensure you’re aware of any important developments, but there’s no need to watch for hours on end. Think of the positive, mind-expanding, business development, or quality relationship time you can be devoting that time to instead.
One more thing: If your social media feed seems toxic now — it was always toxic. It’s just more obvious due to volume considerations. So if it is overwhelming you with a negative focus now, you need to mindfully evaluate the people you’re friended with or following. Seek out those with positivity.
When things start to get cray-cray, stop and take a breath. Pause the inputs and re-evaluate them. Be mindful and cultivate the garden of your mind. Because when your mind is harmonious, your life becomes harmonious.
Yes, people are hurting right now. We all are. But going crazy and having your life fall apart won’t help anyone. The best thing you can do to help the world right now — is to stay on the journey of becoming the highest possible version of yourself.
Peace,
- RG
Originally published at https://www.randygage.com on March 21, 2020.
