Dump the junk to cultivate a beautiful mind

Choosing what information we consume can directly affect our mood and thoughts for the day, so choose wisely.  Respect your mind- if you take in junk you’ll probably feel trashy, if you take in beauty your mind will reflect that.

Podcast fave Tonya Leigh suggested that consuming trash, gossip, negativity, fear-based media and other people’s drama makes us feel sad.  This can in turn send us on a spiral of then eating junk, then feeling back for having eaten junk, and so on, in a toxic cycle. When you intentionally cultivate a beautiful state of mind, we feel lighter, so feed your mind with beautiful things.

TL suggested challenging yourself to take an inventory of the information you consume and upgrade it where it’s not serving you well.  Ask these questions:

• Does it inspire you?
• Do you feel more joyful afterwards?
• Does it turn you on?
• Does it make you feel happy?
• Does it excite you?
• Is your social media doing it for you?
• Do you feel a better person for having read/watched/listened to it?

In order to cultivate a beautiful mind have high standards for what you read, watch and listen to.  You can change the channel, throw away the book/magazine, turn the station over or leave the room.

Limit the time spent on social media.  The algorithms fill your feeds with junk and negativity, so find sites and a space that shares inspirational quotes and is intentionally lighter.

One way to start the day with good thoughts TL suggested was to journal gratitude and intentions for the day ahead first thing in the morning.  It puts good thoughts in your mind right at the start of the day.  Listen to music that invigorates you and consume something that inspires you, read a book, watch a YouTube video or listen to a podcast.

I stopped watching the news on tv a long time ago.  It was all doom and gloom and nothing good seemed to be happening in the world and it seemed to just want to find the bad in everyone and everything.  That doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on in the world, or I’m deluding myself about things, but I choose not to be overwhelmed by it.  The tv in our house doesn’t tend to go on before 6pm anyway, and even then we choose light entertainment programmes, the occasional drama or something educational. 

I did a social media cull recently.  I unfollowed a lot of people and sites who were no longer doing it for me, people who only post negative stories or try to stir up trouble, or simply begging for attention.  I found sites that offered inspiration, hope and were full of vibrancy. 

I am terrible at journaling.  I’ve tried several times and I guess the nearest thing I’ve got to is this blog, but it doesn’t really demonstrate the gratitude and intentions very well, other than my intention to be a better person that I was yesterday by learning more about myself. 

I do read a fair bit, but often quite specifically around a subject I want to learn more about and I always try to find both sides of an argument. 

And of course I do listen to podcasts.  Tonya Leigh’s School of Self Image being the current favourite.  I started right from episode one so I have a bit of catching up, and I’m not apologising for the regular references to it.  If you find something that resonates, I say it’s a good thing to share it.  I was also recently referred to The Melissa Ambrosini Show which promises to bring insightful interviews to shift mind-set, inspire into action and fuel the soul.  I haven’t listened to any yet, but I have one in my queue ready to go before deciding whether to subscribe or not. I have others that are comedic so bring a smile to my face as I’m on my lunchtime walk.

How do you cultivate your beautiful mind?