There’s a constant push and pull inside you.
Like two dogs pulling you in different directions.
One fuels addictions, depression and sadness.
The other creates the life of your dreams.
If you want to be in control of your destiny, you can’t just hope the good voice wins.
You can’t let the dogs walk you.
If you do, your life will be a mess of succumbing to the most recent impulse and primitive thought.
Take the reigns and take back control of your life.
Your vicious side — don’t let the wrong voice govern you
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” — Matthew 26:41
You are an animal.
An intelligent one, one that has come a long way, but an animal nonetheless.
And all animals have the same goals — survive and multiply.
Your brain tries to achieve this by flooding you with a thing called ‘thoughts’.
Thoughts of lust, thoughts of greed, thoughts of violence.
But follow your animalistic thoughts too much and you’ll become a ruthless, unsophisticated animal.
As we transition into this modern and unfamiliar world, too many people are becoming governed by their impulses and temptations.
More and more are succumbing to pornographic thoughts, developing lazy tendencies and indulging in gluttonous lives.
Why?
Because we’re just animals.
Animals living in a weird world that’s evolving at a pace we can’t keep up with — this phenomenon can explain every negative trait:
- Gluttonous eating habits are the mind’s way of stockpiling available food in case of famine.
- Laziness is a strategy to conserve energy — if the body does not need to move to get food, it will resist.
- Pornography is easily accessible “reproduction” — the most highly concentrated stimulant — and the mind will convince you to engage.
When you think about thoughts this way — as levers your mind pulls to control you — you can develop a filter to discern what is good for you, and what isn’t.
That is being conscious.
Your inner wisdom — the voice that knows the way
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” — Galatians 5:16
Your inner wisdom is the voice that tells you what you should be doing.
It’s your divine intuition.
It’s the feeling of guilt you get when you’ve indulged in something you know is wrong — pornography, bad food, avoiding meaningful work.
It’s begging you to listen. It knows what’s good for you.
And I’m only saying “it” for explanation’s sake, but that voice is the real you.
That’s the soul beneath all the layers.
Your true self is clouded with animal instincts and survival strategies.
You must train yourself to filter out the thoughts that are no longer relevant to you and listen to your soul’s voice — the one that seeks truth and progress.
Think of this soul as your future self beckoning to you — showing you the way.
I believe this is ‘God’ or ‘the Spirit ‘— the self within me that shows me the way.
To me, it’s a beautiful way to view the idea of God — because when you pray to God, when you develop a relationship with God, it’s developing a relationship with the most true and pure version of yourself.
The higher entity within.
The knower.
So, knowing all this, will you still allow yourself to be governed by your animal voice?
Are you so weak that you’ll allow pornographic thoughts, cravings and laziness to stop you from being productive?
You could be building relationships, building your health, or creating something productive with that time.
It’s time to take back what’s yours.
How to regain control of your mind
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” — Confucius
To gain that control back, you must start small:
- Do the dishes as you go
- Always take the stairs
- Keep your space tidy
Because the voice that tells you to take the stairs or leave that dirty plate in the sink is the same voice that tells you to break your healthy habits, to drink, smoke, or even to do things that will hurt your loved ones.
Whether it’s a huge issue in life, or a small one, there will always be two voices.
And the more times you can decline the unproductive thoughts, and pursue the productive ones, the better life you’ll create.
With each win, you become better at turning away your bad thoughts and listening to your good ones — that’s why it’s so important to start with the little things.
The compound interest of starting small will give you a rock-solid foundation when something serious comes along.
So make the change today.
When you see a small rubber band on your floor, pick it up right now. Make your bed. Do the little things.
Because each time you do that, you’re building the “discipline muscle” to face the larger challenges in life.
You’re building the most important trait to cultivate a great life for yourself.
Thank you for reading!
I’m Eren and I use stories from experiences in my life to explain self-improvement — and how you can change your life but just changing your thoughts.
If that sounds interesting, follow me for more: Eren Elsewhere.
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