Well, for starters, the brain is an organ in your body. It operates “control central” directing all of your body's functions. It can be seen and touched – it is tangible. The mind, however, is intangible and may best be described as the interpretive center. What exactly does it interpret? Your mind receives information that comes to you though your five senses. It then processes this information outputting language that you understand.
Making lasting changes in your life often means making changes in your perception (vision) and your language. “How exactly do I do that?” you may be wondering.
Let's look at a model we all understand – the forest for the trees. What exactly does that mean? If you are standing in the thick of the forest with brambles and bushes all around you, so heavy that you can't even see a foot ahead of you, you are seeing some trees and the dense undergrowth, but you are not seeing the forest. Somebody who has made their way through the overgrowth of brush and trees to stand on a mountainside above the tree line, sees the forest, the valley beyond, the river or shoreline, and the vast sky above.
How does that apply to personal development? In the thick of your particular challenge, obstacle or pursuit of a goal, expanding your vision so you can observe from a different perspective will open up a myriad of new possibilities for meeting your challenges, overcoming your obstacles and achieving your goals. Possibilities you were unable to see inside the forest.
How does language fit into all of this? Language is our means of communication, but not just with others. It is our tool for making sense of what we see or perceive – to ourselves. The right language can help you communicate your vision not only to others, though that is helpful, but to yourself. Once you come to understand the language of personal growth, what you are attempting will make sense to your own logical thought processes. If it doesn't make sense to you, how can you achieve it?
Let's look at why language developed in the first place. Early along our journey to civilization the undeniable urge to share what was previously only thought inside our minds, developed into the ability to speak. Thus evolved the creation of languages in order to communicate new concepts to one another. The very act of acquiring and sharing new information proves to be a powerful catalyst in the progression of mankind on earth, after all what one thing has fueled the onward march of civilization to the same extent as the pursuit of knowledge? It drove the Stone and Iron Ages, the Industrial Boom and the Technology Surge. It is the very stuff of the information age.
With acquired and shared knowledge we've traveled far beyond the mastery of fulfilling basic needs and meeting our desires for comfort and prosperity. In this new millennium man/womankind turns to a quest for understanding our own nature, seeking deeper philosophical truths, and endeavoring to unravel metaphysical mysteries. As we evolve in these higher levels of personal knowledge, we come closer to a life of fulfillment. And language is the key to expressing, sharing and understanding this knowledge of life purpose, just as it has been the key to all previous knowledge.
A baby can feel hunger and will learn what makes the feeling subside, but until the baby develops language she does not understand that she is hungry. It's true she can get her need met before she has the language to say “I'm hungry,” but you can see how much more efficient the process is when she has the right language. First of all, she herself understands that the feeling in her body means she is hungry (the language having traveled the lines of internal communication). Further, she can say that she is hungry so others understand her need. Now it becomes really beautiful. Because others understand her need for nourishment, they will also understand any actions she takes to meet that need.
Once you learn the language of personal development, having perceived your intent and processed it along the lines of internal communication, your mind will understand what you have to do to get what you want. With such clarity you will be able to take purposeful action to make desired changes in your life. Further, you will be able to share that knowledge with others and they will know why you are making changes to your behavior or lifestyle. So it isn't necessarily mind over matter as much as it is bringing your mind to an understanding of what matters to you for personal growth.
For more information on developing vision and language
to help you disover purpose, enrichment and fulfullment
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