You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi
The mind is an amazing thing. It has the power to focus on things to the distraction of all others. This is both a blessing and a curse.
There is so much input coming these days at us that our poor brains have to figure out what information is relevant at any given point in time. A study at the University of Oregon funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, determined that the mind can focus on about four things at once. Mind science is a wiggly thing because it depends on circumstances, so the specific number is less important than the concept that we cannot take in and focus on ALL information simultaneously.
I know I’ve experienced this in real life.
If I’m driving in the car with George and he says “Did you see that?” , the answer is almost always “no”. But he won’t see the thing that had my attention.
When we understand our focus has limits, then it’s not a big leap to appreciate that our brains have to filter out things for us that we don’t need to (or want to) focus on.
Of course, minds can SHIFT focus. We may not realize how much this happens until we start to play around with it. We choose what our mind focuses on. Have you ever noticed the phenomenon when you’re mulling over something and suddenly it is EVERYWHERE?
This happened to me pointedly one time in college when a friend was talking about joining the Marine Corps. Suddenly everywhere I looked I saw Semper Fi stickers. My focus shifted so this was all I could see. And then it eventually stopped. Is it more logical that suddenly I was surrounded by Semper Fi and then it just as quickly disappeared, or is it more reasonable to accept that my mind, focused on something, brought it through my visual filter so I was seeing it everywhere? And when I stopped thinking about it, I stopped noticing it. The mind, right?
The whole mind-focus “magic” is at the heart of the Manifestation practices you hear about. When you hyper focus your mind so all you see are things related to a singular idea, you can see things that might not have been obvious or visible before.
I’ve always been fascinated by this concept.
Are you familiar with the hundredth monkey effect? There’s a sweet story that’s used to illustrate it but at its core, it is a hypothesis that knowledge can reach a critical mass and it becomes universal. In today’s heady days of on demand knowledge, this could be more of a knowledge trap situation. I am intrigued because I believe the mind is a powerful thing. What if there is a tangible power when many minds align? Intriguing, right?
I’m throwing a lot of ideas out here and I’m doing it quickly because it’s tangential
to the point that I really want to make. One last one.
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “the power of prayer”. In medical settings it is the concept that prayer helps in recovery. Is this a real thing? There was a study published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry in 2009 on this very subject. The conclusion was we don’t know. While I love a definitive answer, I’m not surprised by this. I fall into camp It Depends on Your Belief and What Does It Hurt?
How Do These Notions Fit Together for Peace?
I was struggling with how to “help” Ukrainian people during these troubled times. I was reading accounts of the conflict, reading pleas for donations and funds. And while those are all still viable paths, they felt too…removed.
I was reading articles about people showing solidarity and joining the fight even though they aren’t Ukrainian. Taking up arms isn’t a realistic option either.
I was consuming so much media about the conflict that it was bringing me to a low place. I was feeling hopeless. I know from a lot of experience that is not a healthy place to dwell, particularly after the last few years we’ve had.
I need hope, action, and positivity for good mental health.
As I shifted my focus on action and hope, I started seeing stories about prayer groups, meditation groups, positivity practices aimed at putting peace back into the world. And I started talking about it with people (mainly my mom – Hi Mom!). As I spoke about it, my hope started to grow.
I made a conscious decision to focus not on the horrors of war which have always existed, but on peace. Peace inside me, peace around me, peace into the world. If as Mahatma Gandhi says we have to “be the change” then putting positive energy into the world with the idea that Like Attracts Like and maybe there is power to prayer, I’ve decided to dedicate a few moments each day in a ritual of my own design to find peace within me – and then share it by pushing it out into the world in energy, thought, and deed.
Geesh, I could have just said that up front, right?
My commitment to this practice is rooted in ideas and concepts that have long held my interest. They are things I know about because I decided at some point to focus on learning about them. And I thought, maybe what the world needs is another small chance for someone else to read this collection of empowering notions that can help us feel less paralyzed and hopeless and more powerful and hopeful.
If there was anything in this kitchen sink of a post that resonates with even one person, then I will consider that a raging success. And if not – welcome to Camp What Could it Hurt. Peace.
Do you think the power of prayer works? Do you feel hopeful and empowered by these ideas? Or do you scoff and wonder how gullible people can be? I’m not seeking to change people’s minds, just offer up things that cross my path that I find interesting. As always, be your own person!
