Power of the Mind

My father once told me that there are two wolves inside us. One that enhances the person we want to be and the other that diminishes our true self. It’s on us as an individual to make a conscious choice. Here are 14 such qualities that help us befriend our mind I’ve made it easier by mentioning the wolves that come along with it.

Concentration

Ability to direct one’s attention in accordance to one’s will

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Brain games like puzzles, crosswords etc.
• 2.       Sufficient amount of sleep
• 3.       Meditation and deep breathing
• 4.       Varied diet that includes more antioxidants and fiber
• 5.       Regular exercise

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Being dehydrated and having a lack of nutrients in the diet
• 2.       Over straining
• 3.       Lack of muscular movement
• 4.       Intake to too much sugar, greasy or fatty foods
• 5.       Increased intake of alcohol

Thinking analysis

 The ability to break down a difficult situation into its components by means of clarification and evaluation

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Being observant
• 2.       Active reading which includes evaluating and critically engaging with the reading
• 3.       Curiosity and constant questioning
• 4.       Rationalizing thoughts with decisions
• 5.       Communicating to increase knowledge

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Having an ego centric thinking or self-centered perspective
• 2.       Being a passive reader
• 3.       Not paying attention to one’s surroundings
• 4.       Making unwanted assumptions and stereotyping
• 5.       Having a close-minded mindset that leaves no room for suggestion

 

Reasoning power

 The just and right thinking for drawing inferences with a view to a conclusion believed to be valid

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Trying new things on a regular basis
• 2.       Exercise and regular physical activity
• 3.       Creativity and engaging in creative activities
• 4.       Rationalizing thoughts and information
• 5.       Considering consequences of actions on a conscious level

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Making assumptions and generalization
• 2.       Thinking about irrational worst-case outcomes/ catastrophic thinking
• 3.       Taking things personally
• 4.       Letting biases obstruct your judgement
• 5.       Having a black and white perspective of situations and things

 

Mental maturity

 The ability to respond to respond to a given situation appropriately

 

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       A growth mindset
• 2.       Understanding other perspectives
• 3.       Being empathetic
• 4.       Being conscious about what is happening in and around you
• 5.       Respecting and acknowledging the realities around you

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Tough and overwhelming conversations
• 2.       Focusing on the “me-factor”
• 3.       Being overly defensive
• 4.       Denying responsibility of actions
• 5.       Impulsive decisions or actions

 

Adjustment thinking

 The ability to settle or free ourselves from discrepancies or differences by bringing conditions to a satisfactory mode

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Be empathetic towards people who have different views
• 2.       Believing in the idea of a middle ground
• 3.       Openness to change
• 4.       Being more flexible in terms of work
• 5.       Understanding and working on differences

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Unemphatic behavior
• 2.       Rigid mindset
• 3.       Stubborn attitude
• 4.       Inability to experiences new changes
• 5.       Negative mentality

Insight

Realization of contents of a situation and the existence of the whole structure to solving a problem

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       The will to learn from things in and around you
• 2.       Being solution oriented
• 3.       Being open to self-improvement
• 4.       Actively reading and being part of discussions
• 5.       Prioritizing direct experience

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Being blame or problem oriented
• 2.       Being externally focused
• 3.       Restricted mentality
• 4.       Being comfortable in a limited solutions to problems
• 5.       Getting into the habit of being abstract

 

Mental responsibilities

 The ability to make full use of your mentality can be considered as personal responsibility

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Willingness to change
• 2.       Consistency and openness
• 3.       Owning up to mistakes
• 4.       Taking responsibility
• 5.       Placing other’s needs before yours

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Procrastination
• 2.       Complaining
• 3.       Avoiding consequences of an action
• 4.       Playing the blame game
• 5.       Unsympathetic and self-centered attitude

 

Original Thinking

 Mental processes in an individual or group of individuals that produces innovation and invention

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Willingness to learn
• 2.       Writing and thinking creatively
• 3.       Developing different outlooks to situations
• 4.       Having influences and role models
• 5.       Being self-critical

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Being afraid to come up with bad ideas
• 2.       Being trapped in one’s limitations
• 3.       Group thinking
• 4.       Having a fixed mindset
• 5.       Restricting suggestions from disagreeable people

 

Thought exchange

 The communication of ideas through visuals, hearing, voice, touch, taste and smell

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Enhanced vocabulary
• 2.       An informed and clear perspective
• 3.       Continuously gaining information
• 4.       Engaging in discussions and lectures
• 5.       Being aware of individual differences

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Being ignorant
• 2.       Being rigid
• 3.       Having a closed mind
• 4.       Thought stopping
• 5.       Dismissing other ideas

 

The unconscious

 A part of the mind that comprises mental processes that are inaccessible to the conscious but influence judgement, feelings and behavior

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Meditation
• 2.       Countering negative thoughts with positive and rational feelings
• 3.       Writing down a goal and reinforcing it with the desire to achieve it
• 4.       Attention and realistic approach
• 5.       Consciousness of senses

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Negative self talk
• 2.       Procrastination
• 3.       Easy distracted
• 4.       A compulsive behavior
• 5.       Being ignorant of emotions

 

Clear Thinking

 A kind of consideration and thinking which have complete freedom from haziness in thought

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Critical approach to your emotions and thoughts
• 2.       Being well informed
• 3.       Being rational
• 4.       Calming racing thoughts
• 5.       Organizing thoughts and actions

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Increased caffeine intake
• 2.       Setting unrealistic goals
• 3.       Being in a disturbing environment
• 4.       Being absent minded
• 5.       Having prejudices

Emotional maturity

The ability to handle situations without unnecessarily escalating them

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Exercising responsibility
• 2.       Acting on emotions
• 3.       Living in the present
• 4.       Stepping outside comfort zone
• 5.       Acting from integrity

 Things to avoid:

• 1.       Being self centered
• 2.        Living in the past
• 3.       Avoiding rejection and failure
• 4.       Acting out emotions
• 5.       Not taking ownership of reality

Learning abilities

The adaptation or adjustment according to muscular or mental abilities or both

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Openness to new or different perspective
• 2.       Planning and staying organized
• 3.       Research and being informed
• 4.       Experiencing new experiences
• 5.       Acknowledging the surroundings

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Judgmental surroundings
• 2.       Being distracted by things around
• 3.       Moving ahead without a plan
• 4.       Moving ahead without clarity
• 5.       Overlapping of tasks

 

Mind animation

 The communication of ideas through visuals, hearing, voice, taste and smell

Things that’ll help you enhance this quality:

• 1.       Being creative
• 2.       Increased interaction and communication
• 3.       New Experiences
• 4.       Open to new ideologies
• 5.       Using and being aware of senses

Things to avoid:

• 1.       Being content with minimal information
• 2.       Having a closed mind
• 3.       Stuck with one perspective
• 4.       Being unprepared
• 5.       Minimum understanding of the subject