Mind Games

Words are one medium we use on a daily basis to communicate with each other. There is such a myriad of ways in which this unfolds: sometimes we use them to get things done; sometimes we use them to convey our feelings; sometimes we use them to reflect on life; and sometimes we use them as weapons to hurt or destroy another.

Words, like daggers, have lots of power to maim and harm. They pierce through the heart splaying it open and creating a spin in the mind. The same words can be used to heal or harm depending on the context or tone in which they are spoken.

Words can be used to seduce, hypnotize, manipulate another to our whims. There are actually people called persuasion artists who are masters at the use of language in this way. They know how to embed language to achieve certain aims and use words to covertly change the way people feel about something. These are word magicians who have chosen to take the medium we use everyday and elevate it into a dark art.

I find it baffling that a medium I see as a tool for connection can be seen by others as a tool for manipulation. None of us like to be duped or tricked into something. We like to believe we have chosen to act freely. However, the media has seen to it that we are well tuned to subject ourselves daily to an onslaught of embedded messages. In my opinion, this cheapens the medium of language and calls for a vigilance around the information we so readily accept.

I urge you to put yourself on an information diet — a word fast so that you can give your mind a rest. This will enable you to better discern the incoming stream of ideas coming at you, so that you can establish better boundaries around your consiousness. You mind is not a truck stop where any stray idea can simply stop by and inundate you. Rather, see the mind as a sanctuary, where there are guidelines that must be met in order to enter.

Treat your mind as you would a child. Give it space and freedom, within reason. Monitor it and keep it free of clutter and debris. And most of all watch who and what you allow to cross the threshold of your being. There is absolutely no good reason why you shouldn’t question the intentions of everyone who wants access to your mind.

The way I see it is the mind is sacred and it deserves to be treated as such. Let it play. Let it explore. Let it discover new things. But when it’s time for supper, call it home.