Calming a Crowded Mind

On a campout to Huntington Reservoir this summer, I got up early one morning and stood looking out over the water. Any tiny movement could be detected because the water was that still. When a fish jumped, the ripples it made seemed to be felt by the entire lake.  As I stood there, the thought came to me, “That is exactly how our minds should be.”

Trying new things, going into uncharted territory, learning new languages, and starting a new business -- all these thing can be difficult. I’ve realized one of the keys in being successful at taking on new challenges is to quiet the endless stream of unnecessary thoughts continuously flowing in from our consciousness.

Having your mind as calm as that lake has the benefit of placing you in your optimal state of performance.  For example, let’s say you are trying to learn a new language. As you begin, you are suddenly inundated with voices saying “You can’t do it” or “You’ve never done this before and so you are going to fail.” You know those voices, right? Do those voices help or interfere with learning the language?

Another benefit to clearing your mind is that you are able to receive clear guidance about who you really are and what you are capable of. This guidance comes from from the infinite source---God, the universe, or whatever you choose to call it.  So, imagine that lake again, but this time, it is in commotion with a lot of wind and waves. How can you recognize the steady trickle of direction from the infinite source amidst all that commotion?

How is YOUR mind? Is it crowded with worry about the past or future? Do you invite your thoughts in or are they intruders?

The first step to calming your thoughts is understanding the roles of the conscious and subconscious minds.

The conscious mind is intended to allow you to “stop and smell the roses,” i.e. use your senses to connect with the outside world and appreciate all the abundance around us.  

The conscious mind isn’t intended for solving major problems. In fact, using it that way is counterproductive.

Major level problem solving should be delegated to the subconscious mind. To do that you simply write the issue down then turn your thoughts to appreciating the beauty of the rose, hearing the birds sing, and smelling the summer pollen in the air.  Then your subconscious mind delivers answers to those major problems when you least expect it.

In other words, don’t force your conscious mind to do what it wasn’t intended to do, just calm your mind and allow the answers to come naturally.

When Michael Phelps was asked what goes through his head before his major Olympic swimming competition, he responded “nothing.” He knows to clear his mind and let his body do what it has been trained to do. Similarly, public speakers often hold something like a pen or a paperclip in their pocket. When is it time for them to give the public the speech, they focus all their conscious attention on that physical thing and just allow themselves give the speech they already know how to give.  A quiet mind empowers high performance and productivity.  

Practice staying connected to your physical environment and you’ll soon see how unnecessary the other kind of thinking is and how much more present, productive, successful and happy you are.