Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power

Lao Tzu

This ancient quote from a Chinese philosopher spoke to me the minute I read it. I believe true talent lies in controlling your mind, not of those around you. There’s always a debate on Brain vs. Mind so I will give you my version of the parallels between the two.

I’ll also correlate the saying that most of us probably use from time to time; we give advice but rarely practice it on ourselves. There’s more of a chance to guide and influence other people than there is to control your own thoughts, actions, and emotions.

The brain is such an essential part of our body, it might as well be thought of as the second in command. Our hearts can be considered the motherboard. Some may argue that it’s the opposite. The brains power over what we say and how we function is miraculously astounding but also very delicate. What would the brain be without its emotional parallel? What would the mind be without its intellectual partner?

Here’s an example; how many of you have struggled with some type of mental illness? I struggled with depression for years. My brains emotional parallel was far outweighing the intellect it needed to overcome the weakening of my mind. All the energy I had was being put to negative use. My brain waved the red flags and activated the alarms in every direction my mind was headed, but every signal was ignored. My control became more limited with every wrong turn I made until all power got wiped out.

When that control is lost and both your brain and mind become entities of their own kind, the world you inhabit becomes a different reality. When I would hear other people share and explain what their existence had turned into, I would beg them to just keep fighting. I made myself available to be used as some kind of light in their darkened world…but looking back, I can’t understand how I offered a strength that I didn’t even have for myself. I chose to distribute it among those who were in a crisis, rather than saving bits and pieces that could’ve been saving me from the start.

It’s not too late to gain back the control that was once lost.

What I want to leave you with is the component that will ensure the outcome of a healthy and content life; it’s ok to be selfish. Nourish your brain and your mind with nutrients of love, respect, and knowledge. There’s no reason to share power without preserving a safe amount for yourself. An equilibrium must exist between both those pieces. If there’s a lack of balance, soon enough you’ll be reaching a standstill that will include too many questions with insufficient answers.

It’s not too late to gain back the control that was once lost. That decision, however, has to be yours. The initiative must come from within to reach the goal of finally taking back the power over your mind. It won’t be easy, but it can be achieved. Once you do that, you’ll never again struggle with battling between your brain and your mind because you’ll have the tools to navigate all your thoughts, your emotions, and your actions.