Don’t mind the body; mind the engine

There is a popular phrase that goes like this: ‘don’t mind the body; mind the engine’. It refers to a car and literally means that no matter what dilapidated state a car may be in, so far as the engine is in a proper state, it is good to go. Thus the engine of a car is an important component that cannot be ignored. It is the component that makes the car able to perform its most fundamental and basic functions.

The state of a person

In an analogy, the body of the car can be compared to the human body whiles the engine will undoubtedly be the human mind. That is to say that if the mind is in good shape, anything is possible regardless of how the person may look on the outside. And isn’t that agreeable?

A person state will invariably stem from his/her state of mind. If he is lazy mentally, he will consequently look lazy physically and if he/she is mentally active and industrious. The life of the person will demonstrate it. It, therefore, boils down to keeping the mind (engine) in good shape.

Keep the mind (engine) in good shape

For something to flourish, it has to be fed, watered and nourished appropriately. Recently, I have been tasked with watering two mango seedlings at home. One of the first set I transplanted withered, undoubtedly because I didn’t appropriately nourish it. I almost always forgot to water it and I had no idea I needed to make a depression around the stem their stem to ensure that the water sinks to their roots and not run-off the surface of the ground.

Now, I water them twice a day, always making sure there is a depression into which I pour the water and I wait for that to sink before I add more. I am always delighted to see new shoots coming up almost every week as they indicate that they are alive. Nourishing the plant daily with water and care (mind) brings about beautiful new shoots (good life – evidence of an active mind).

How do we nourish the mind?

First and foremost, we must give it good food; constantly train the mind into what you want to see and receive from it by reading educative materials that will challenge the mind into critical thinking.

Second, be careful what you look at and what you listen to they eventually go into the mind and can make or break a person.

Finally, meditate on things that are pure and noble. Meditation is a form of nourishment that helps to get messages to the subconscious part of the mind. This subconscious part of the mind is very instrumental in how a person behaves towards another. Remember, your mind is everything; what you think, you become. -Anonymous