Hello, mi neighbour! | How to experience mind growth

Hello, mi neighbour!

How rich is your soil – the soil of your mind? The richer the soil, the richer, healthier and long-lasting the fruits you bear. And, for sure, those valuable fruits will enrich the lives those who will in turn enrich the lives of others. No, those are not empty words!

The good farmer tells us that each yield of good crops takes not only hard work, discipline and dedication, but without nourishment, sunlight and water, etc, all his efforts could be in vain! For success in farming, the farmer will also tell us about compost, soil test, aeration, mulching, organic ammendments, crop rotation, manure, fertilisers, and so on. All of that? Yes. Is there a another way to ensure richness of soil? Ask the smiling farmer again.

As you can imagine, enriching the soil of your mind involves lots and lots of nurturing – much more than one can imagine. Stimulate your thoughts and broaden your knowledge with the world’s best sellers, read great articles written by the deepest and most creative thinkers, engage in life-long learning by taking every course and attending every workshop, and you have only just begun.

In the process of nurturing your mind, you could also regularly reflect on your experiences, thoughts, and emotions, to gain insights and perspective. Practise meditation to calm your mind, reduce stress, and increase focus. Also, engage in activities that bring you joy, relaxation, and rejuvenation: exercise, travel the world, spend time with nature, and just feel the breeze. Aaaah ... You MUST also ensure you’re getting sufficient sleep and eating a balanced diet to support your mental health. And prayer is another MUST.

MIND GROWTH

To experience mind growth, challenge yourself to try new things, take risks, and face your fears. Yes, your mind thrives on those. If you have a mind that prompts you to put off important tasks, show little or no interest in the well-being of others, is easily distracted, thinks superficially, shies away from difficult situations, accommodating only what feels comfortable, is curious about nothing, that mind is troubled and can only cause further trouble for the individual who could already be in big trouble!

Joseph was favoured by his father, which angered his brothers, leading them to sell him into slavery. But, his mind was well cultivated, one could say. While in slavery, because of his supernatural abilities, including the capacity to interpret dreams etc, he found favour, not only with his slave master, but the leader of the country of his captivity. In time, he became the prime minister of that same country. A happy ending, to a sad beginning. Wish every story ended that way, but such is life in the real world. But guess what, with a well-cultivated mind, the right attitude and blessings from above, your story could also have a happy ending.

Even as, to be a success at farming, we could learn a thing or two from the successful farmer, to successfully navigate life, we could also learn a few things from Joseph, whose mind apparently was well cultivated!

Cultivating a rich/fertile/strong mind to help us weather all adversities involves developing resilience, adaptability, and mental toughness. To help us achieve this, we must:

• view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning.

• always remember that being on the same page with the Eternal Father (bless our land) ensures that our adversities work in our favour

• concentrate on the present moment, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future

• set clear, achievable goals and work towards them assiduously, even in the face of adversity, be tough!

• believe that our God-given abilities and intelligence are being developed for the toughest task/encounter down the road

• always treat ourselves with kindness, understanding, and patience under circumstances.

And this one you should never forget: along your journey to success, you will encounter persons who will commit the ‘unpardonable sin’ against you. This invariably causes a seed of bitterness to germinate in some persons which, if allowed to grow, could lead to their demise. Sad. It is of dire importance, therefore, that every offence by a neighbour be immediately with by heartfelt forgiveness immediately.

The mind stayed on God not only produces perfect fruits, it becomes the channel through which the individual receives perpetual peace.

KINDLY HELP A NEIGHBOUR WITH ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

1. Stove

2. Refrigerator

3. Bed

4. Food

5. Help with medication

6. Financial assistance to start a little business

To help, please call Silton Townsend @ 876 649-9636 or deposit in acct #351 044 276 NCB. Alternatively, send donations to Hello Neighbour c/o 53 Half-Way Tree Road, Kingston 10; PayPal/credit card: email: zicron22@yahoo.com. Contact email: helloneighbour@yahoo.com. Visit hellomineighbourja.blogspot.com. Townsend exclusively manages the collections and distributions mentioned in this column and is neither an employee nor agent of The Gleaner.