WE SHOULD RENEW OUR MINDS
Human mind is conservative by nature. Change scares, frustrates and make us feel uncomfortable. When some important or different event comes to our minds, then chaos appears. The supposed peace and tranquility we had disbalances from the new data input and our traditions become treatened by the new invasor. Our mind is not used to check itself periodically, it becomes negligent about it, resists and hides from change. We rather move on what is usual, in habits, and what´s well known, than to wonder into unknown fields, even when it seems better.
When our mind saves a belief, a value or a theory, it keeps it at any cost. It´s less painful to protect what is old, than to accept what is new. We are lazy and conformist by nature.
We certainly, have to try to renew our minds. Something really incredible is that, no matter what kind of beliefs we save in our minds, no matter how racional they are, or they aren´t, they are defined the same way. Mind doesn´t discriminate concepts, nor ideas. If you save any information in your mind, it stays the same way for a long long time. And the fact is that, even when it is something harmful, sometimes, our mind tries always to defend it.
Since we are children, we began to elaborate and establish theories about ourselves and the world around us. If our contact experiences with our relatives and other people are healthy, we will develop healthy patterns: "the world is nice", "I am loved", "people is not so bad". On the other hand, if we have negative experiences, our patterns would have a unhealthy content: "I´m dumb", "Nobody would love me" "I am ugly", "I don´t do things right". Once we set our values, our mind would keep them, and would take care of them as a life or dead matter.
We call Self-Deception to the tendency of being faithful to what one believes and deffend the acquired experience. As an example, we tend to remember in an easier way, those events which confirm our ideas (we forget about those who are oppositte to our ideas). We attend those incentives which back our way of thinking rather than those which dissent from it. We even, could forge reality in order to confirm our theories. We are that way, if we don´t win, we get even.
The most used method for people to self deception, is the manipulation of things, events or ideas. So that we can coincide with our thoughts and deceive other people. Nontheless, despite of the resistance of our mind, and even against those who forbid to think in unadequate schemes, we can attain the renovation of our minds, with lots of effort and perseverance. People who are fanatics to some kind of authority, destroy creativity, inventive and healthy risk, and are victims of traditions.
We don´t have to momify ourselves to be in what is truth, we should learn from the past, but not abide in it. There´s an excelent guidance, in the Bible, Book of Ephesians advise us: You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; (Ephesians 4: 22-23) NIV.
The real inner transformation requires rupture and reestructuration, that is to say, to demolish and build again. It doesn´t mean to mild mends or cold water wipes. We have to confront our minds boldly and without any anesthesia. When we don´t let space for traps, when we force it to see facts as they are, it doesn´t have any excuse, than to accept change. Then, we open a new door, and the renew of our minds, if it is based mainly in God´s advise by his Word, then it would lead us to a better way of life.
All a man's ways seem
innocent to him,
but motives are weighed
by the LORD
Commit to the LORD
whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.
(Proverbs 16: 2-3) NIV.
by Henry Leguizamo
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario