Keep a watchful eye on your mind. Even a moment of leniency can pull you back to where you started.” AASHISH GAUTAM
There was a boy named Robin who frequently got sick. He took medicine to get well, but he noticed that he struggled to maintain his health for long. Despite his efforts, he found himself visiting the doctor often for various health issues. Finally, he asked the doctor, “What is wrong with me? Why do I get sick so much?”
The doctor listened calmly and said, “It’s because you are not watchful.”
Robin asked, “What does that mean? I take my medicine on time and follow your instructions, don’t I?”
The doctor replied, “For how long?”
Robin answered, “Until I become healthy again.”
The doctor nodded. “That’s your major problem. You are diligent about your diet and exercise only during your treatment. Once your treatment is over and your health is restored, you start to neglect all the instructions. You begin eating junk food and stop doing the regular exercise that is essential for maintaining good health. Remember, medicines cure sickness, but they don’t make you permanently healthy. It’s your responsibility to stay disciplined and conscious about your body.”
James Allen also highlighted this common neglect by saying, “Victories attained by right thought can only be maintained by watchfulness. Many give way when success is assured and rapidly fall back into failure.”
Robin’s story is not so different from most people’s. We often feel motivated one day and become lazy the next. We vow to become positive thinkers after reading a motivational book, but within a week, we slip back into our old state of mind.
To avoid this cycle, we need to delve deeper into the concept of watchfulness. To grow anything, we must give it constant care and attention, which requires persistent effort. In the realm of the mind, you must act like a vigilant soldier. We need to watch our thoughts, especially when negative ones try to enter. Analyzing the circumstances, people, and moments that influence our thoughts is essential to mastering our minds.
One of the best exercises for this is mindfulness. In mindfulness practice, sit in a chair or on the floor, wherever you’re comfortable, with your back straight, and simply observe your thoughts without judgment. Initially, thoughts of anger, jealousy, or old bad memories may arise, but don’t be scared. Just watch them, and they will fade away as you become more conscious of them. If you practice this for 30 minutes a day for 30 days, you will gain much more control over your thoughts.
You can think of it this way: imagine a teacher entering a noisy classroom. The teacher says nothing but sits quietly, observing the children. Gradually, the children begin to calm down on their own. Similarly, when we observe our thoughts without reacting to them, they naturally settle, and our inherent joyful nature emerges.
As you begin to witness what is happening in your mind, you’ll become more aware of the thoughts you allow in.
This awareness enables you to intentionally choose positive, growth-oriented thoughts that align with your well-being and enhance your happiness, which ultimately is our prime aim in life, and mindfulness helps us to achieve it.
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