Free-range

I have the kind of mind that likes to . . . oh, shall we say free-range, and not in a happy hen sort of way. Just last week, I spotted a purplish bump on the topside of my left hand. It was fluid in nature and moved to the left or right side when pressed upon.

Did something dislodge from inside my body? Could this be a blood clot? On and on I went, imagining the worst-case scenario. I had my husband examine it for backup, and his reassuring response was, “You’re gonna get those things as you get older.” My inner child was beginning to panic. This scene was all too familiar, and reminded me of a particular incident from my childhood.

As a young girl, I did not receive many rules and restrictions while growing up. My mother always said I was a “good kid” and that she didn’t feel the need to ground or punish me. Fair enough. So, imagine my surprise when I was suddenly restricted from watching the popular 1970’s television series known as Emergency! Remember the plot? People get hurt or find themselves in precarious situations, and handsome paramedics arrive to save the day.

You see, whatever contagion or malady befell a particular character that episode, I, too, would contract that very same illness or disease! Acute appendicitis? Absolutely, as my inflamed lower right side would throb in sympathetic pain. Respiratory condition? I can’t breathe. Heart attack? Mommm! Seriously, a medical intern could have completed their residency in our home.

My mother quickly grew tired of my nighttime charades. That’s when she decided to put a kibosh on my television privileges. I mean, who can blame her? As a full-time working parent, the last thing she needed was an adolescent Sarah Bernhardt in her home. My performances were noteworthy; however, it was a brief career. I soon settled into being a tween again. That mysterious cough all but disappeared, gone, vanished just like magic. I was healthy once more, thanks to some good old common sense on my mother’s part—changing the television channel.

It’s very easy to let our minds run amuck, taking us to all sorts of undesirable destinations. This is not to say that you will not experience certain bumps and lumps in life, or that it won’t be necessary to seek out proper medical attention. But if or when that time happens, it is best to have a practice in place, to help reel in the mind. Here, chicky, chicky!

Change the narrative. Keep your focus and gaze upon what you wish to experience. Don’t go looking for something that doesn’t exist. Do not go there in thought. Oh, it takes discipline and practice to control the mind, or heaven forbid, to imagine the best-case scenario. But the more you practice focusing your mind on feel good feelings, the greater impact this will have on your life, and your ability to deal with uncertainty and fear.

That’s exactly what happened with this recent situation. Out of habit, I resorted to my default pattern of worry and concern. I then consciously chose to change the channel in my mind by averting my thoughts away from the “doom and gloom” to a higher vibrational, more pleasant thought form. This allowed me to deal with the bump on my hand in a calm and rational state of mind. It worked! And I like the new and improved version of myself.

No doubt it will be an ongoing process learning to control my thoughts. Sometimes, on a moment-to-moment basis. However, when I do find myself wandering astray and foraging on the many “what if’s” in life, I now know how to supplement my diet (my mind) by imagining a better feeling thought. These healthy thoughts alone become powerful, emotional particles of change.