The mind is a rationalizer.
Once the heart/ soul takes a decision based on an emotional instinct, impulse or desire, the mind rationalizes the decision you’ve taken, justifying it on rational principles. Sometimes when a decision cannot be so rationalized, the mind manufactures rational arguments and evidence in order to sugar- coat it for the world and itself.
The job of the mind is also to wipe the mud off when you fall flat on your face. The mind processes the incident and rationalizes the worst of it so that it can dilute it of emotional damage and make it acceptable to the world and to itself. You can then get up off your knees and walk on, albeit limping a bit.
The job of the mind is to console you when you are going through the worst of your emotional trauma. Again, it seeks to rationalize the situation and come up with evidence that proves that things are not as bad as they are. This helps you to create a distance within yourself and look at the situation with a uninvolved, detached perspective, significantly reducing your ‘overwhelm’ quotient. As we’ve all experienced, a lowering of overwhelm is the most important step we take towards accepting the unacceptable.
When the soul decides to do something outrageous, it is the mind that revs up and tries to find channels and resources so that the soul can go on its outrageous flight.
If the mind cannot- or will not- rationalize, it would become near impossible for you to move on after life hands you one of her tart lemons. Perhaps the emotional pain is too intense to allow the mind room to function. Perhaps the situation is so unreasonable that there is no rationalization to cover it.
That is when the mind goes into a tools- down state. The mind also defines the disaster as a disaster. The experience is not only bitter, it is also accepted as bitter. The very authority who was suppose to tell you it wasn’t bitter, distract you with a funny story and quickly pop a candy in your mouth when you were laughing- is now dejected and ranting about how bitter things are! Not a happy state to be in, I am sure you will agree.
This is the state you will recognize as a struggle. Struggle is the result of the mind rejecting the experience that the decisions of the soul are bringing it.
What your mind thinks about something now becomes crucial in determining how you experience it. Does the mind’s opinion detract or bolster the emotional content of the experience? Does the mind say, “Oh, no big deal; you’ll be okay in a jiffy” or does it say, “Man, you’re up the creek without a paddle!”
There is only one way to break this state of mind. Gratitude.
Gratitude can cause you to change your Mind about a situation. It is not a trick with which to fool the mind. It is a tool with which to open the mind. Gratitude thaws a mind frozen in a state of helpless rage and fear. Its warmth re-establishes the flow of grace. It opens your eyes to the evidence of love all around you.
Gratitude helps heal the wounds of the mind so that it can get back to the job of wiping the mud off your face, dressing your wounds and sending you out again into the world as good as new- or in the process of getting there. These are the jobs entrusted to the mind and it excels at them.
The job of the mind is NOT to deny that it heard the voice of the soul.
This is a wonderful piece of writing Dagny. I have always been torn between the voice in my head and my heart…could not even distinguish between the two.
Thank you MUCH Janaki… 😀
I can’t tell you how pleased I am that this connected with you. This my most ‘from the soul’ pieces I’ve written in recent times. It is particularly gratifying for this one to be appreciated.
xoxo
I hear you. This is what resonates with me. Gratitude, the only thing that brings me closer to the source, the only emotion that makes me so happy that I can reach for the stars.
I hear you Ritu. As I said to Janaki, I am more than pleased this resonates with you. I loved writing this piece. 😀
Lot of things you said are true, but tools down stage is a scary one, and sometimes even gratitude doesnt help the souls like me. #truestory
I am sorry to hear that Asteria. Perhaps the injury you have sustained is too deep. It may take time, but gratitude always thaws things we numb in the face of pain. Perhaps you should let your loved ones help you come out of this. I don’t really know.
My prayers with you. Sending you love and healing.
Wow, Dagny……….this is brilliant. Yes, we shuttle between the two all the time. And you are so right about the gratitude bit. If you don’t have a grateful heart, your soul is wasted. What a wonderful post, this. Hugs!
BlogwatiG: Thank you for your words. As you say, without gratitude, your soul is wasted. The whole journey it ought to have taken in this lifetime has been set back. Hugs back to you..!
This one of your best till date ! It is the job of the mind to rationlize and if it is not able to, it becomes difficult to moove on in life. And Gratitude works and how ! It can change your day and your life completely !
Ruchira: I am delighted you think this is my best. I too thought so when I finished writing it. 😀
Thank you. I feel replete.
I have said this somewhere else too, the mind and heart have been fighting with each other or rather rejecting each other since we realized their existence. Loved the post, Dagny.
Diwakar: I am inclined to think that most of human strife is closely connected to the strife we have created within our own consciousness. The day we end the dichotomy within, perhaps the wars without will cease too. Just my two cents.
Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope to see you there again. 🙂
Brilliant job writing about this Mind Job, Dagny! 🙂
Thank you Pankaj. Long time no see. Busy making money? 🙂
Actually,
Heart is not really responsible for emotions that is scientifically inaccurate, probably a long time ago when poets and philosopher have no understanding of human anatomy they made that up. Everything right from emotions to rational decision to impulse or morality or conscience(Chetana?) everything comes from mind. Infact the feeling in stomach or body or heart is all generated by mind when we are either feeling love or despair or any other strong emotion to which the heart beat increases and body reacts with pain or some other form of reflex. The soul though is very controversial topic, there are no scientific study to say anything conclusive about it. Even if you have a fully functional anatomy(including brain) there is some kind if common consciousness among living beings which works on some kind of metaphysical level which connects and gives purpose to everything(in terms of. Probably this conscience is soul and the common consciousness is what people would call a supersoul(Parmatma?). Anyway, I am not nit picking or anything(you already know that), just wanted to express my awesome opinions on this awesome post(that is me just buttering :P).
Hugs and kisses
My dear Anuz,
If you were sitting across from me, I would surely have calmly poured my coffee into your lap. And you know it.
When we speak of ‘heart’ as the source of emotions, we are NOT speaking of the physical organ called heart. As a third grader knows, the function of the physical heart is nothing more than to pump blood. It is nothing more glorified than an electrical motor pump.
The mind, as you well know, is a many faceted thing. When I used the word ‘mind’ in my post, I referred to the conscious, logical, rational mind. When I used the ‘heart’, I referred to that part of the mind which deals with emotions.
Likewise, speak not to me of the lack of ‘scientific evidence’ about the soul. Science is limited at best and amazingly pompous at worst. The soul exists, even as supersoul does. And they exist if only to make sense of the universe. For without them, the entire plethora of human experiences would descend to such a base level of pointlessness as to turn my brain into jelly.
I am sure you would like that. It that were to happen, I’d write the most footling rot and you’d be compelled to read it. Self preservation, I think they call it.
I like you buttering me. Pray continue.
Hugs and kisses.
That would be waste of good coffee, your rant would be enough to scare me or you can just give me scary glare. But I still disagree that people should not call it heart call it Limbic Centre(I didn’t know it either just googled it, MUHAHAHAHA). Well, but science is truthful since it would always state that what are the limitations of a given statement and it is just a method to prove thing in measurable extent and human minds are but capable of measurable systems only. Well, I donno about soul, most of it comes form religion and religion as we know is full of utter non sense(all of them without fail). Though I am slipping into a territory where I am believing and enjoying the pointlessness of everything, it is too much fun to think about it.
See, my point is that people who say “good post” and “well written” are hardly contributing to the dialogue, but people like me(totally faltu) would rant and express displeasure about everything and anything, which annoys the author and in return compels them to waste coffee. To quote Kabir “nindak neeare rakhiya aagan kuti chabaye, bin paani sabun bina nirmal kare subhaye”, that being said we are still friends right?
Loads of lubs
Anuz
Just friends!? That’s mean!! *sulks*
Shhh!!! we cannot let the secret out?
Jo dar gaya so mar gaya Chambal ke thakur..!