Expand Your Mind Beyond The Times

“Every man is a creature of the age in which he lives and few are able to to raise themselves above the ideas of the time.”

— Voltaire  

Humans are products of their environment, and few are able to perceive beyond current times.  

One of the best ways to start thinking beyond current times is to study history. 

Who are your favorite humans from the past? From 2,000 years ago. 

From 500 years ago. 

200 years ago.  

Think of your favorite humans and then go read about them. 

Learn about the lifestyle they lived. 

Learn about how there were no bathrooms or running water. Learn about the slaves & emperors in Egypt, and the Kings of Scotland. 

Learn about Shakespeare and da Vinci & artists throughout the years.  

As you do your research you will be able to (in your mind) transport yourself to the time & era of those people.  

You’ll learn that things are always changing – and that the things today that so many people cling to as absolutely true – may not be true at all, and time will tell. 

Conformity is strong and always has been – but dare to think beyond today’s beliefs. 

Dare to think. 

Dare to research and come up with your own beliefs. 

Think Your Own Thoughts

“An entire sea of water can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can’t pull you down unless you allow it to get inside you.”

— Thich Nhat Hahn 

From the time we are born, to the time we lose our own mind (death of individual mind), to the time we physically die, we are being told what to think. 

Parents tell us what to think. Newspapers tell us what to think. Governments tells us what to think. Television tells us what to think.  

Almost every child born with parents of one political party beliefs will inherit those beliefs. 

People think they have their own beliefs – but they almost never do. 

People’s beliefs are almost always inherited from their parents, and sometimes by their teachers.  

Ce la vie.  

Anyway, how can you break free from inherited beliefs and start thinking for yourself? 

You have to learn to think with yourself – within your own mind – to ask yourself questions and not just answer reactively, but to dwell in it, sometimes for days, weeks, months, and then brainstorm answers. 

This doesn’t happen overnight – especially in these shallow reactive emotional societies we live in. 

First, before you start thinking like a philosopher, you have to meditate. 

You have to let go of your thoughts and beliefs and just appreciate life beyond inherited beliefs, temporarily, as you continue on your journey.  

Here is a great beginners mediation guide. Also the word psychedelic comes from two Greek words that mean “Mind Manifesting.”

Sticky & Flowing Mind

Are you ever walking in a public space and you pass by a person and they get in your head? 

It happens to me sometimes. 

I’m focused on living my life, going somewhere, and then a person passes me and then they get in my mind and I can’t seem to push them out. 

I don’t usually have this problem, and it happens less, but it does happen sometimes, and I call this a sticky mind. 

When I’m flowing, I’m focused, leading my life, centered within myself & accomplishing things. 

When I’m sticky minded I’m distracted by people outside of myself – or noises, or anything that is not my goals and dreams… 

If it happens to me, it must happen to others. Does this ever happen to you? 

Anyway, something I remind myself of is that “these thoughts will pass,” and I will be centered again soon and focused. 

I don’t need to fight these thoughts out of my mind – although sometimes I try doing that. 

I need to just relax my mind & not take the distracting thoughts of strangers so seriously. It will pass. I will have a stronger mind. I am an empowered individual. 

Aging versus Maturing

“Most people don’t grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging.”

— Maya Angelou 

Let’s face it – humans are mostly shallow. 

We mostly live by appearances – the way people & things “appear” to be. 

And the older people get – the more they seem to lose their inner self in order to fit in with the way things appear to be. 

But the way things appear, are rarely how they actually are. 

Emerson said “It is not length of life, but depth.” 

If we are living in shallow, reactive, consumerist societies, where is the time for any depth?  

Cultivating depth in your life is where maturing happens, and if you don’t do that, you only age – like most people.  

Steve Jobs said “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”   

First, understand that the majority of people on earth never find their inner voice, the inner self, and they live life reacting to life circumstances. 

That is perfectly okay, but if you want to break free from the reactive ways of society, you must find your inner voice. 

You have an inner voice – everybody does – but like I said, they usually lose it as they age. 

If it was easy, everyone would do it. What is easy is losing your voice to conform to what’s going on outside of you. What is easy is following. 

What is difficult, is leading. Especially leading from within.

People will call you crazy for having a life & mind of your own, since they’ve conformed to the shallow ways of society. But those are the people you do not want to listen to, or fit in with, if you want to have depth in your life. 

Be in the world but not of it!!! 

Spend time alone with yourself, away from the tv and technology – to connect with yourself. To detach from the outside world and seek the power within yourself. 

Meditate. Go into nature. 

Nikola Tesla said “The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude.” 

If you’re never alone, it’s almost impossible to know who you really are – and I think the majority of people don’t care or are afraid of being with themselves.

Blaise Pascal said “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  

If you can enjoy spending time with yourself, alone with yourself – you will begin finding depth in your life – although you may be called strange. That’s ok. I’m very strange, and I love myself. 

Jiddu Krishnamurti said “It is of no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” 

So you can spend your life trying to fit in with shallow people, or you can take the journey of self discovery. 

Will you age? Or mature?

The choice is yours. 

You Need A Stronger Mind

“If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your mind is complicit in the provocation.”

— Epictetus 

Some miserable people live their life looking for the next opportunity to provoke or bother someone. 

Don’t let it be you. 

Even if they go out of their way to insult you – you can’t get angry if you have a strong mind. 

The easy route is to be annoyed, to be miserable, to be distracted, to be hopeless, to be disempowered. 

And the hard route is to live as an empowered individual. To remain calm, centered, and uneffected by the hate & misery of others.  

Provocation is just another distraction sent by the ignorant to destroy your inner peace. 

The ignorant have no life of their own so they become lifeless parasites, literally like diseased bugs, trying to spread their disease – their hate, misery, violence, ignorance, pain, etc. and they’ll get you if you don’t put your bug spray on. 

And what is your bug spray in this situation? It’s focus. 

You must remain focused on your mind and your life. 

What are you doing with your life? 

Where are you going? 

What do you want your life to be like 2 years from now? 5 years. 10 years. 

Maintain a long term vision, add goals, and act toward your best life, and when other people call you “difficult” it’s because you can’t be provoked or manipulated. 

Stay true to your life path. 

Ignore the haters. 

Focus. Win.

Who Do You Trust?

“They trust me, and they’ve forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because I lead them to nourishment.”

— Paulo Coelho (Santiago speaking in The Alchemist) 

We live in societies where a range of people are seeking your attention. Some of these people may be helpful, and some deceive. 

How can you know who to trust? 

Do you rely upon your own instinct? Or do you take someone’s word for it?  

I began with the above quote from The Alchemist because I’ve observed that certain governments snatch away people’s minds & instincts, and desire for the people to obey the government, but does the government lead people to nourishment? 

To me, it appears that current governments desire to control people, yet they rarely lead anyone to nourishment. 

Do you rely on a government to tell you what to believe? What to think? How to live? 

Or do you make those choices yourself? 

5 20th Century Books That Can Transform Your Mind

1–T.N.T. IT ROCKS THE EARTH by Claude Bristol

“Compare yourself to the gears of your automobile. In reverse place all fears, worries, troubles, aches, and pains. And when things goes wrong simply put on the brakes. Idle your engine until you can clearly see the road ahead.”

2–As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

“All that a man achieves, and all that he fails to achieve, is the direct result of his own thoughts.”

3–Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

“Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.” 

4–The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale

“The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.” 

5–The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz

“Look at things not as they are, but as they can be. Visualization adds value to everything. A big thinker always visualizes what can be done in the future. He isn’t stuck with the present.” 

Change Your Life By Changing Your Thoughts

You have the power to change your life by changing your thinking.

Is it easy? 

No, here’s Goethe:

“Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”

It may be one of the most difficult things to do, but it can be done. 

Da Vinci, Einstein, Buddha, Jesus, Shakespeare, Bruce Lee, and countless others have spoken on this truth.

You have the power, but it requires responsibility: 

“You may believe that you are responsible for what you do, but not for what you think. The truth is that you are responsible for what you think, because it is only at this level that you can exercise choice. What you do comes from what you think.”
― Marianne Williamson

You may have heard “with great power comes great responsibility” but looking at the state of the world we can all see this isn’t true. 

What’s true is that great responsibility leads to great power, which begins with taking responsibility for your thoughts. Da Vinci defined this truth as “Science”.

Your world won’t change until you change your thinking.

How?

Begin by thinking about your ideal life.
What does it look like?
What’s your financial situation?
How are your relationships?
What’s your living situation like?
How is your health?

Visualizing your ideal life plants seeds into your subconscious mind, which when repeated begins to manifest in the physical world.

When a thought arises that doesn’t have to do with your ideal life, change it. This is humankind’s superpower, “giving birth to evolution” Einstein said.

Disciplining your thoughts is a practice. The more you work on it, the stronger your mind becomes, the more in control of your life you become.

The path of your best life awaits you, what are you waiting for?

Get to it.

29 Power of Your Subconscious Mind Quotes from Joseph Murphy

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1— Identify yourself with your aim in life, and do not permit any person, place, or thing to deflect you from your inner sense of peace, tranquility, and radiant health.” 

2— “Do not let others do your thinking for you. Choose your own thoughts and make your own decisions.”

3—“Your mental attitude, i.e., the way you think, feel, and believe determines your destiny.”

4— “Every cell, nerve, tissue, and muscle of my lungs are now being made whole, pure, and perfect. My whole body is being restored to health and harmony.”

5— “The suggestions of others in themselves have absolutely no power whatever over you except the power that you give them through your own thoughts. You have to give your mental consent; you have to entertain the thought. Then, it becomes your thought, and you do the thinking. Remember, you have the capacity to choose. Choose life! Choose love! Choose health!”

6— “Once you understand that you do not have to accept them, choices open up for you.”

7—“Choose to believe that something good can happen and is happening now. Your greatest power is your capacity to choose. Choose happiness and abundance.”

8—“Busy your mind with the concepts of harmony, health, peace, and good will, and wonders will happen in your life.”

9—“Never finish a negative statement; reverse it immediately, and wonders will happen in your life.”

10—“The way to get rid of darkness is with light; the way to overcome cold is with heat; the way to overcome the negative thought is to substitute the good thought. Affirm the good, and the bad will vanish.”

11—“As you sow in your subconscious mind, so shall you reap in your body and environment.”

He brings up Bible verses: 

12—“Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. MARK 11:23.”

13—“Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. MATT. 21:22”

14—“You must choose happiness. Happiness is a habit. It is a good habit to ponder often on Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report..”

15— “All of us have our own inner fears, beliefs, opinions. These inner assumptions rule and govern our lives. A suggestion has no power in and of itself. Its power arises from the fact that you accept it mentally.”

16— “Every thought is a cause, and every condition is an effect.”

17— “You grow old when you lose interest in life, when you cease to dream, to hunger after new truths, and to search for new worlds to conquer. When your mind is open to new ideas, new interests, and when you raise the curtain and let in the sunshine and inspiration of new truths of life and the universe, you will be young and vital.”

18— “The American philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson, said, ‘Man is what he thinks all day long.’”

19— “As a man thinks, feels, and believes, so is the condition of his mind, body, and circumstances.”

20— “The process of all healing is a definite, positive, mental attitude, an inner attitude, or a way of thinking, called faith. Healing is due to a confident expectancy, which acts as a powerful suggestion to the subconscious mind releasing its healing potency.”

21—“Though invisible, its forces are mighty. Within your subconscious mind you will find the solution for every problem, and the cause.”

22—“Remember, you are spiritually recharged during sleep, and adequate sleep is essential to produce joy and vitality in life.”

23—“Know that in your deeper mind are Infinite Intelligence and Infinite Power.”

24—“Your mental attitude, i.e., the way you think, feel, and believe determines your destiny.”

25— “Over ninety percent of your mental life is subconscious. If you fail to make use of this marvelous power, you condemn yourself to live within very narrow limits.”

26—“Look at your fears; hold them up to the light of reason. Learn to laugh at your fears. That is the best medicine. Nothing can disturb you but your own thought.” 

27— “If you have indulged in fear, worry, and other destructive forms of thinking, the remedy is to recognize the omnipotence of your subconscious mind and decree freedom, happiness, and perfect health. Your subconscious mind, being creative and one with your divine source, will proceed to create the freedom and happiness, which you have earnestly decreed.”

28— “Remember, it is the world within, namely, your thoughts, feelings, and imagery that makes your world without.”

29—“Just keep your conscious mind busy with expectation of the best.”

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Use Imagination to Create Your Life

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
— Einstein


Einstein said imagination is the preview of life’s coming attractions, and imagination comes from within.


Our minds generate imagination, but are we doing the generating?

We are.
Our thoughts are shaping our future. 

“Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.”
— Buddha

So how do you begin training your thoughts?

Begin by thinking about the life you want.

Check out this 3-Step Process to learn more! 

Sending Thoughts&Love Your Way.