Avoid this Mental Flaw to Be Your Best
An unbalanced mind causes many problems. Here’s how to identify and fix it.
In the 5th Century BCE students of Confucius published a document in China known as The Great Learning.
English translations of this insightful text are now available online and one of suggestions the book makes is to keep our mind balanced.
A balanced mind is one that can be put to use improving and perfecting us.
Self-improvement is not possible without a balanced mind.
Below are the things that keep your mind off-balance.
You are holding onto anger and resentment
If you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! Matthew 5:22
Harboring anger or resentment towards another person hurts the person having the feelings way more than the person the anger or resentment is directed towards.
Anger fills the body with stress hormones. It also wreaks havoc on a person’s heart and blood pressure. You are six times more likely to suffer a brain aneurism after having an angry outburst.
If we want our minds to function in balance, we must let go of anger and resentment. Even if the subject of our anger never gets what we feel they deserve. It is essential to our own mental and physical health to let these dangerous emotions pass.
You are afraid
Fear also unbalances the mind.
Fear is only as deep as the mind allows
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you believe that fear is “False-Evidence-Appearing-Real” then you’ll recognize it is the opposite of strength, courage, and confidence.
The answer to the question “Why didn’t I do that when I had the chance?” can often be traced back to a phantom fear that kept us from acting.
Fear unbalances our mind by making us focus on the “worst case scenario.” Most fears can be heaped into the major fear of ego death–the fear that we are going to be publicly shamed or embarrassed in some way.
This fear is almost always irrational, as very few people actually experience anything close to ego death in their lifetimes.
A balanced mind is one that wants to grow.
Fear stops growth dead in its tracks.
You sacrifice progress for pleasure
An unbalanced mind is always pleasure-seeking. The addict who has given up everything for a drug is the victim of an unbalanced mind.
A person who puts off learning new things or putting in the work that will eventually yield a reward has a flaw that is not as outwardly noticeable as the addict, but is still engaging in self-sabotaging behavior.
Diligence can be pleasurable when proper goals are set. Also, the pleasures of life are so much sweeter when enjoyed after a good day’s work.
Much of the advice given by famous athletes, politicians, inventors, tycoons, and artists on how to be successful basically boils down to: work hard and don’t make excuses.
Our mind will get used to whichever track we habitually take. It can be balanced through daily work towards are goal, or it can be unbalanced through undisciplined, pleasure-seeking behavior.
Once a positive or negative habit is formed, it takes great effort to change it.
You live too much in the future
Our minds can become unbalanced if we are constantly daydreaming about our future self.
You can gain a fresh perspective by occasionally projecting yourself in the future–but you have to remember that your projection is limited by “projection bias.”
Your emotional state in the present limits your ability to predict what your future will be. Projection bias assumes that your current preferences will remain unchanged in the future. This gives you a very narrow perception of your future self.
If you allow projection bias to rule your life, you will begin to feel unsettled and anxious in your present circumstances.
If you find yourself thinking a lot about the future–keep your thoughts open. Take a wide-angled view, allowing many possibilities to form.
How an Unbalanced Mind Hurts You
An unbalanced mind will handicap you in many ways.
It makes it impossible to focus–limiting your reasoning abilities.
Gives you tunnel vision–hindering your creativity.
Makes active listening difficult–which takes away your ability to learn from others.
An unbalanced mind keeps you from enjoying the moment and being fully present.
What You Can Do To Balance Your Mind
To get your mind back in balance, commit to these healthy habits.
- Learn new things everyday and stay curious.
2. Be mindful, breathe, and take mental breaks.
3. Avoid sitting for extended periods and get daily exercise.
4. Get enough sleep and eat raw fruits and vegetables daily.
5. Be grateful.
6. Avoid judging others or trying too hard to please others.
7. Stay present. Don’t regret your past, or dwell too much on the future.
Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding. — Proverbs 3:13
According to the The Great Learning, once the mind is balanced, you can refine (perfect) yourself.
Hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for reading!
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