The Nations of Our Mind

"The worst day in a man’s life is when he sits down and begins thinking about how he can get something for nothing." ~ Thomas Jefferson

I was just thinking (I know, that's a dangerous thing) but there seems to be three nations that overtake our minds...procrasti-nation, condem-nation, and imagi-nation! Clearly these nations of our mind have entangling alliances. It all starts with our imagination. Imagination is a flaw of the heart and sets up a production studio in our minds. Its not that imagination is a bad thing, but when it’s the only thing going on in the human brain, then trouble is fixing to happen. When our imaginations are left unchecked, then an unchecked imagination without any restraint can lead to powerful 'floods' that deluge the mind.

Come on...be honest with yourself. Your (our) imaginations are very powerful when left unchecked. If you will be honest and truly examine yourself, you will admit these nations are the enemies of your soul that have gotten you to this place and time...overweight, depressed, lazy, lethargy, etc. You are at a harvest of a handful of imaginative ways the mind created months, if not years ago.

There were moments 'back then' when you allowed your mind to sow thoughts (imaginations) that kept you bound. You see...and you know...how our imaginations paint pictures with a very broad brush. A plethora of brush strokes (thoughts) invade our minds and we have those ‘inner’ conversations with ourselves...surely, if we eat this and or that, surely we won't die. And even if we do eat this, tomorrow we will exercise it off. Just ONE of those desserts aren’t going to kill me anyway, will it? It can't be THAT bad for me. Life is short, I might as well enjoy it...a person's got to live.

Jack Kornfield said, ”The trouble is that you think you have time.” We allow the moment to slip away within the capsule of 'I'll get to it later on down the road' (procrasti-nation), and later does come, but once we give in to the machinations of our nature, the alliances of other 'nations' begin to form and become stronger and stronger. Like chains of darkness, these nations begin to shroud our ability to think. They besiege our mind and surround us with a limited depth perception of a bigger and greater world outside of those engulfing strongholds.

Once our imaginations are set free, then its off to the races of creating a justification for fulfilling the appetite at hand. Those entangling alliances begin to form with the other 'nations' of the mind. First, procrasti-nation steps up and sets up the dilemma of 'putting off today what you can get done tomorrow'. With procrastination, today comes but you never make it to your tomorrow. It has been said, "Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried." Today, is always greeted with too much to do, or too tired to attack that issue today. Imagination sweeps across your mind, and tells you how much easier it will be to get it done tomorrow because you will not be as busy. Do you see the alliance? They work hand in hand to your own destruction. The next thing you know...life has passed you by and you are where you never intended to be!!! Then the next enemy nation of your soul rises up to put the final blow on your now damaged psyche...CONDEM-NATION! Oh yeah, this is the guy that tells you there's no hope now anyway. Why bother? Why try? There is no hope...I am who I am. I will never be anything different. The nation of condemnation wraps the other nations within a cocoon of hopelessness and defeat. 

You can no longer continue to let these words, “It might have been” be the motto of your life!  Deep down, there is a voice crying out of each and everyone of you. Though faint that it may be, its still there and yes, there is still hope. I know this because I’ve been there. For thirty-seven years I played these ‘war’ games with myself. Until one day, I decided to fight back and I began to wage my own personal battles against these nations of my mind. Yes, it will take work, and there will be some tough times as you begin to break the links that bind you down and tie your hands, but YOU CAN DO THIS! Robert Allen said this, "Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone." Use those imaginative alliances for a motivation by looking at where they have gotten you! There is a proverb that says, "If and When were planted, and Nothing grew." Its time to quit letting the imagi-nation of procrasti-nation create the condem-nation to control your life any longer. Throw out the if's and the when's and do something with TODAY. If you truly want it...YOU can have it. A man by the name John Cleek said it right, "What you want to do, you do. The rest is just talk."