While it's going through it's routine functions like keeping your body and all it's organs functioning simultaneously, it's also waiting for you to put it to work. You, thinking things on purpose is this work. And if you don't direct your own mind, it will just play with itself out of boredom. From your past experiences in real life, from books and television, music and imagination - your brain has an unlimited combination of things it could throw together. When left without guidance, your mind will do just that - which gives you something interesting or at least weird to look at.

Now here's where it gets screwed up. What you focus on, grows. You notice this weird thought or series of thoughts and you put your attention on them. If you've got nothing better to do at the time, you'll even humor the idea - maybe imagining what things would be like if your new weird idea played itself out.

Maybe later, you have this thought again and this time it seems a little less weird. Through repetition of thought (your focus), this once crazy idea becomes 'normal' and your belief now says that this IS reality.

The problem is, that's not the truth as people outside of ourselves would see it.

It's make believe.

Just like fear of the unknown - it's entirely made up. Sure there might be some reason to be cautious, but so fearful that you're immobilized by it? No way! And somewhere, deep down inside you know it's true. But just knowing isn't enough or it wouldn't be a problem. We have to DO something about it. Here's what that something is:

A) Accept responsibility for yourself. Your mind is your own, you have the ABILITY to control it. Your sole goal in thinking should be to think about what you want as often as possible. If you haven't read it, I've written more on that and you can find it by clicking here.

B) Stop believing these thoughts that do you no good by forcing yourself to practice thinking more useful things.

C) Don't just get lazy and give up when it's not the easiest thing that changes your entire life on the first or second try.

D) Write things down so you remember to make yourself do what's useful for you.

E) Deal with whatever it is and practice your way into a comfort zone and then excellence in dealing.

What I mean in "E" is - if you're afraid of something, if doing something makes you anxious, if your attention span makes life difficult, you'll need to deal with these things and IT IS POSSIBLE no matter how bad off you might think you are.

Just take a baby step. Some small, seemingly insignificant thing that puts you in the right direction.

I'll take fear of heights and use it as an example:

Stand on a step ladder on the first rung.

Realize you're higher than you were and that you're comfortable and in control. You're not going to fall because you're being careful and holding on. This is the truth, so force yourself to believe it even if weirder thoughts come racing in. Force the thought using repetition.

Step up to the second rung.

Make the same realization. YOU are in control. YOU made the step and you can step down any time you want. You are safe, you are being cautious, nothing will happen that you don't MAKE happen and you control yourself.

Step up to the third, fourth, etc.

Do NOT go to the top all at once or even expect to. One small step at a time, once you start getting uncomfortable just keep yourself in check and just push yourself a LITTLE bit. Just ONE more step. Just expect one more, don't think for a second you'll do it all and just be done, it doesn't work that way. Once you've made a little progress you can either test yourself to see if you can go a little more or just stop FOR NOW.

DO expect to go back and practice some more. Again and again until it's no longer an issue and then beyond that.

The more you practice, the more you'll realize how easily you can control yourself - it's a cycle that has been working in the exact opposite way up to this point. Because whatever you practice you get better at - if that's acting afraid, you'll get better - if it's dealing with people, you'll get better. No matter what, if you practice it you WILL improve regardless of the activity or behavior.

For attention span, practice focusing your attention on something - maybe a paragraph in a book and just force yourself to read it from start to finish no matter how interesting something else might be. If you blow it, try again! Then 2 paragraphs and so on.

Your mind and your body are your own. You can use them in any way you see fit. If you don't like something you're currently doing, you CAN change it - if you make it a big enough priority.

You can think anything you want at any given time. If a thought flashes in your head that is out of line with things you REALLY want, it is YOUR CHOICE to change it or just focus on it until it gets out of hand. You may not feel this is the case because you might not have really given it much thought up until now but it's absolutely true.

Just start REALLY small and take it from there. Maybe it's a little different than how you've done things in the past, maybe it does feel a little weird to be thinking things on purpose at first and practicing on a regular basis - but that's how you get things done and handled.

If you feel like things are spiraling out of your control, just stop a minute and put things in their place. Take control of yourself and you'll see the situation more clearly. Then you CAN deal with it.

Another great tip which has worked wonders for my own life and way of thinking is to stop being so willing to makes excuses for yourself and other people. A little practice never hurt anyone but thinking we're incapable sure has. Don't look for a drink, a pill, a person or a lottery to come and make things better - and don't be that person to someone else who is fully capable on their own.

There is a saying that I don't know the origin of or I'd credit it here that says something like, "give someone a fish and you'll feed them for a day but teach them how to fish and you'll feed them for a lifetime". That's exactly what I'm saying here - by expecting someone to do something that you could realistically do, you're just taking a fish. By giving something to someone that they could have earned on their own, you're just enabling them and making them weaker. Start practicing today and beyond by taking control of your own situation and working on it just a little bit every day.

If someone is crying, don't just put your arm around that person and say, "oh, you poor thing" and walk away. Don't point and laugh either though, you wouldn't want that to happen to you so enough said there. But be a friend to them, find out WHY they're crying and if it's apparently for no good, realistic reason - maybe you can help them see that and think of things more logically. That's what a TRUE friend does. The truth doesn't have to hurt if it comes from the right person with the right intentions.

Be a true friend to yourself and the people you care about by not making excuses or using the excuses of others. The path to happiness is through thinking about the things you want and I know you don't want crazy, I know you don't want miserable, I know you don't want pain. So change your focus, what your thinking about and what you're doing and change the situation itself through practice.

If it's useful for you, read and re-read the things written on this website. Play with them, practice and experiment a little and see what kind of mileage you can get out of it. Mixed with your own thoughts, actions and experience I'm certain that with regular practice you can have the experience of life you may have only dreamed of in the past. Don't give up, don't cop out and remember to be forgiving to yourself and others. We're human, weird stuff happens and we're all crazy, perhaps we can be cut a little slack, pick up the pieces and try again. Don't you think?

We all can change, especially when it comes to our thoughts and actions. It's not as hard as we've led ourselves to believe and it's time we all start living the truth instead of ignoring it.

Start small, practice, keep your focus in the right direction and watch it unfold. I know you can. I hope you know it too.

All my best to you always friends.

http://www.inspirational.com/essays/going-crazy.htm

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