What Are You Fueling Your Mind With?

Photo Courtesy of Sura Nualpradid

Just like your body requires fuel to function, your mind requires fuel to be creative and process information.

Today, I’d like to talk about what you are fueling your mind with. Is it racing fuel or is it gasoline that has been polluted?

What kind of thoughts and ideas do you like to have? Most likely you would like to think positive thoughts and ideas. Would you like to be an encouragement to others? Would you like others to think of you in a positive light? Now, do you think others think of you in this way?

If not, it’s most likely due to the fuel that you’re putting into your mind. The old saying “Garbage in, garbage out” is truer than you know. Research shows that your brain retains nearly everything that you’ve seen. This can cause quite a bit of trouble if you’re constantly watching, reading, or listening to things that are destructive.

Reading: What kind of books or magazines are you reading? Reading most woman or men magazines, romance novels or horror books will not increase your positive intake. These magazines appeal to our base desires and do nothing to increase our positive intake. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but if it is all you’re filling your mind with you are not doing yourself any favors. This was something I’ve struggled with and had to change myself.

Instead of reading these types of magazines or books, how about picking up something positive or that will increase your knowledge? There are plenty of positive and uplifting materials out there. I’ve really enjoyed Success Magazine and Entrepreneur. For books, I’ve been reading business books and books about things I would like to learn. Not only is this educational, it can be very entertaining.

Watching: TV and the movie theater offer us a lot of choices in our viewing entertainment. Once again, this is an area that has a lot of good things that can be viewed but there’s also a lot of junk out there. Lots TV shows are now filled with violence, sex, and vulgar language. All of this can be harmful if you consume too much of it. I know as I struggle with what I watch. Many nights, I can find myself being drawn to shows that have dirty cops, death, or cheap laughs. I know these things are not what I should be filling my mind with.

There are alternatives to this. One alternative would be to purchase a recording of a conference you wanted to attend or a recording of a college class. Now you can be entertained and find out what you missed. Another alternative is to look for TV shows or movies that contain a positive message.

Listening: What you listen to can have a huge impact on your thought life. Many songs contain vulgar lyrics and a degrading message. These are not things you want to fill your mind with. The more you hear these things, the more likely they will be to come out of your mouth.

Instead, try listening to instrumental music or music with uplifting lyrics. This type of music can be an inspiration and can kick-start the creative process. You might also want to try listening to podcasts related to a field of interest that you have. There are thousands upon thousands of people recording podcasts and giving them out for free. Do a quick Google search for a topic you’re interested in followed by the word podcast. You will be amazed at the amount of results you get.

I’d like to encourage you to guard what you’re letting into your mind. Be sure the fuel you’re pumping into your mind is of high quality. Without it, you will start to sputter and stall just like a car with bad fuel.

Question: What kind of fuel have you been putting into your mind? Do you have any recommendations on audio, books, or videos that have helped you become a more positive person?