Kaycia Walker

Your mind is like a goldmine and there’s an ongoing battle to capture it.

Ever seen an elephant at a zoo or in someone’s possession and he’s being held back by a leash attached to just one leg? Am I the only one who wonders how in the world an animal of that size is being restrained by a tiny piece of cord? Well, when baby elephants are born, owners typically put a rope or chain around the animal’s leg to control how far they go. Each time the baby elephant attempts to go wherever it pleases, the chain or rope (leash) pulls it back. Eventually, the baby elephant subconsciously learns just how far he can go, at least for now. However, as the elephant grows, it gets larger, stronger, and can break the leash but it never does. Why? It remembers the experience in the past of trying to break free and failed, so even though he is physically capable of doing so now, he never tries and thus remains enslaved.

Life gets tough and sometimes during those seasons, I slink into the background and shut down. It becomes easy to believe that in those moments that no one really understands and I need to figure things out on my own. I tell myself that I’m not making much impact anyway so no one will notice if I stop writing, stop producing content, and stop posting on social media. But did I tell myself these things? Or are those thoughts from an outside source? Are these truths or are they lies to hold me hostage and prevent me from using the talents and gifts given to me by The Creator?

STORYTIME…

“Your life is always moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts.”– Craig Groeschel

I read once of a group of friends who played a game called, “Capture the flag”. The goal, as the name suggests, is to hold onto and protect the flag for as long as possible by preventing anyone from removing it from your possession. The one rule for this game was that attempts to capture the flag cannot begin before 8:00 am. Craig got up one morning but sensed that something was a little off so he tiptoed over to the closet, opened it, and saw Kevin hiding in there. He had positioned himself to capture the flag the minute he got the chance. On seeing this, Craig burst out laughing, slammed the closet door shut, and ominously warned Kevin that he was going to spend the rest of his life locked in the closet. All the while Kevin screamed, “Let me out! Please, let me out!”. Craig proceeded to grab a chair and tried to fit it under the handle so Kevin would have no chance of escaping but it could not fit. To Craig’s advantage, Kevin did not know this. However, Craig, with an evil chuckle, informed Kevin that the chair was blocking the door so he will never be able to get out and then headed off to his meeting.

While in the meeting, Craig heard tiles shifting in the ceiling above his head. He looked up to see Kevin glaring down at him. He had climbed through the ceiling of the closet and made his way through the vent until he got to Craig’s office. All the while, the closet door was open.

PERSPECTIVE

I have been like Kevin many times in my life. As I shared above, my mindset has caused me to hold back, not move forward, and even doubt myself, my abilities, and my impact. The truth is though, that the discomfort felt from not walking into that which I am called has been even more tormenting. So, I started reading about mindset and how to foster a healthy one because I realized that much of my growth and progress often begin and end in my head. It was Henry Ford who stated, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t- you’re right.” These words are profoundly true. On one hand, it makes me excited that there are infinite possibilities and I can access them if I only believe. On the other hand, it’s scary to know that I can only go as far as my mind can take me. If this is true, where are your thoughts taking you? Do you like where you’re going? The great news is that you have the power to influence what the mind holds true.

When I shared the thoughts I’ve had concerning producing content, I asked myself a question- I questioned the origin of the thoughts. The thought that writing blogs and posting motivational content is useless so there is no need to continue, goes against my life’s purpose and mission so it must come from a source outside of myself that wants to prevent me from walking into my divine purpose. Therefore, I now have to capture the thought, assess it, keep the truth and evict the lies.

How do I know what is true? If it goes against everything God says about me, it’s a lie. If it goes against everything God says about you, it is a lie! If the thoughts about yourself, your gifts, talents, and abilities are all negative and have caused you to hold back on your dream, those thoughts are not yours! If the thoughts about your physical appearance, are negative and have caused you to have a low self-concept, sweetheart, they are not yours! If you think you’re limited, have nothing to offer, and do not deserve the best in life, if you feel unqualified because you do not have the things society says you should have at this point in your life, those thoughts are not yours! They are intruders! Boot them out!

HOW TO GET RID OF UNWANTED THOUGHTS

First off, I had to first acknowledge that I have thought patterns that are hurting me and decide that I need to change them. Now let me hasten to say I don’t have it all figured out and I am no expert on this. However, I have been trying a few things and have made progress so I’ll share them with you, and hopefully, you’ll find value in them.

1. Capture EVERY thought– Thoughts are like tiny visitors who want to become permanent residents. They enter your home but they don’t always bring good gifts. Some come with little termites to eat away at your furniture and steal your belongings while others come with gifts to enhance your living. With this in mind, everyone who enters your home needs to be interrogated. What I do when I get up in the mornings is think about what I’m thinking about. So, I evaluate the first thoughts that enter my mind the minute I open my eyes. If I do not like them, I replace them with what I know is true.
2. Choose to think positively– “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8, NIV). When thoughts enter my mind, if they do not meet the criteria above, then I dismiss them. I then make the deliberate choice to think about things that are happy, pure, true, and noble. That might look like reflecting on a great experience I had in the past, the promises God has spoken over my life, or the ones I love. This might look a little different for you. Decide what your happy thoughts are and think about those things.
3. Read– This might sound a little old-fashioned and cliche but you will find materials that can help you change your mindset. There are people out there who have struggled with the same things you’re struggling with and have written about how they were able to cope. You’ll find that some of their techniques might just work for you!

Though I have been using the tips above to combat fear, doubt, and anxiety, and they have been helpful, I realize that they have to be employed every single day for me to continually have a positive mindset and experience growth. The truth is, the battle for your mind is ongoing so you will have to fight constantly. Just because the unwanted thoughts leave after day one does not mean they will not return on days 2, 3, and 4. You will have to fight. Like Kevin, the door of your mind is wide open. If you feel trapped, you do not have to stay where you are and you will not have to go through the vents to get to your destination either. All you have to do is walk through the door and experience the freedom that was there all along. If you keep going, you’ll watch the trajectory of your life take a positive turn and you’ll live a happier and more fulfilled life.