3 Ways To Regain Control Of Your Mind Through Thought

Your thoughts forge your voice

The human mind is wondrous. It is palatial when it is carefully cultivated; the opposite when left untended. The mind likes being busy all the time; it likes to chatter and is designed to run amok. Just this afternoon, my mind was racing through the status of team goals, unmet metrics, pending meetups, and the day's tasks, all at once. Then, I realized what my mind was up to and got ahold of it.

The nature of the human mind is vast and fickle, but that doesn’t mean we can’t control it. Here are 3 mindful habits that can help you regain control of your racing mind, and put your best foot forward.

1. Be Aware of the Inner Chatter

You simultaneously exist in two states, the first being what everyone else can perceive externally, and the second, being what your mind is constantly generating internally. Do you know that the internal dialogue you are constantly having in your head influences your actions, reactions, ideas, ideals, and even your behavior?



Your mind is constantly assessing, guiding, and judging, so it’s imperative to be vigilant of the internal dialogue you’re having. Ultimately, this inner talk can be your biggest strength or your worst enemy, as it governs much of how you operate in the world.  

What should you really be wary of?
 
Activity: Observe. Consciously observe your inner dialogue for an entire day and try to notice if you are caring towards yourself or only critical of everything ‘you’.
 
You will soon realize that when you are critical or judgmental about yourself, you feel less energetic, seek more external validation, and don't feel courageous to take on anything that seems challenging. On the other hand, when you are caring towards yourself and become your own cheerleader, you naturally feel upbeat and confident. This also extends into the world around you, as you become more forgiving towards others. 
 
You might never realize the damage you cause to your own confidence and self-image with negative self-talk, but once you develop that awareness you can replace the ever-present critical buddy with a wise, supportive one. 

2. The World Around You is Not Your Competition — It's Your Extension

More often than not, your mind is conditioned to quickly form opinions or judgements about the people you meet or interact with. There is also a constant validation quest of ‘them’ versus ‘me’, and an inclination to put situations and people under familiar buckets and biases.

This tendency to create barriers between yourself and others doesn’t help anyone, and functions as a deterrent to coming together and joining hands.
 
Activity: Ponder. Try to recall how many times you have missed out on touching a life or reaching out to someone because your mind was preoccupied with judging their attire, accent, background, or any such differentiator. 

The moment your mind engages in judging or comparing, you lose the opportunity to genuinely connect with the people – this is a big miss!

Judging people or putting them down dilutes purpose. Coming together, on the other hand, and enabling people to bring their best attributes to the fore is what fosters success. Success is only created when you expand yourself into the world around you and extend understanding, empathy, and ultimately, connect with others. 

3. Tomorrow is a New Opportunity

My growth path as an individual has provided me with many opportunities to fail, but also to succeed. At times, it was difficult to learn, and it took a lot of practice to not be harsh on myself when I missed the mark. The bloopers – though heartbreaking – became my most able teachers, and I remained a grateful student. When I finally learned to be forgiving towards myself, I gained insight into how to embrace and enable those around me. 

When you lose or fail, you feel dejected and hopelessness takes over. But this is the precise time to remind yourself of the vast opportunities that the universe guarantees. Some of the opportunities you are presented with are for you to seize, and others become life lessons.
 
Activity: Focus. Make a list of all the things you can still do when you come across a roadblock. You will be amazed at how much can still be done. If nothing comes to mind, start small – for instance, own up to a blunder by writing an apology letter. Once you begin, you will be led to the next step. It's almost miraculous. 
 
Opportunities are notorious for taking the guise of failures. You might not be prepared, but you can always navigate. All it takes is courage and a forward-looking mind, for every new day is an opportunity. 

A Bonus Tip From My Splendid Fails

You might be conditioned to believe that your thoughts don’t really matter unless you act on them, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Your thoughts forge your voice and are constantly creating the blueprint for the actions you take. Ergo, be very mindful. Your mind is an architect – are you enabling it to build a masterpiece?

Gaganpreet Luthra is the General Manager of India Operations at Flyhomes. Connect Gaganpreet Luthra