Body states lead to states of mind Understand the human system and become more motivatedL As we seek out to fulfil our life purpose and live in the most motivated and uplifted way possible, it's important to have a clear understanding of how our human system works. Armed with this information we are better able to manage ourselves into the motivated states we desire. The first insight that helps us, is to know that our experience of life is a blend of physical and non-physical. Whilst this is obvious, more often than not we ignore the physical dynamics when we consider, for example, the all-important subject of 'state of mind'. 'Mind' somehow seems to be a separate entity, and sayings like 'it's all in the mind' and 'mind over matter' create the incorrect notion that mind power is separate and can overcome all. Not so. Thought, the basic unit of mind, involves the brain. No brain, no thought. And the brain is a physical organ, nothing like the nebulous and intangible 'mind'. You can describe it, see it, and weigh it. It has measurable biological realities that govern its health. If brain chemistry is wrong for instance, the brain malfunctions in some way. When this happens our thinking malfunctions too. Moreover research has shown that your body's physical state also affects your state of mind. What you eat has a dramatic effect on your moods. At one stage of my life whenever I ate oats for breakfast I became very aggressive. My children were still little then, and they often accompanied me to the green grocer. The owner was a pleasant man who had the unpleasant habit of kissing all the children who came into his store. Over time I had controlled my urge to reprimand him for what I considered a violation of their rights - after all, if kissing people was ok, why did he not kiss the adult customers too? This unacceptable situation lasted only until the day the 'oat' factor kicked in- the day I had oats for breakfast and went shopping shortly thereafter. Yeoowee, did I give him a blast! It wasn't planned. It just came out of me like a bullet. I told him if he ever kissed my children again, I would never ever shop in his store again - and I didn't say it softly either! That day I did not psyche myself up to put him in his place. I did not visualise it, nor affirm it for 10 minutes before leaving the house. My body chemistry did the deed. I'm not passing the buck. I'm assessing the situation holistically! If I had it over would I eat oats that day? Naw…. Angry outbursts help no one - but I would have stopped the kissing problem in a constructive fashion on the very first day it happened instead. The moral of the story, if you wish to be highly motivated, you need to set yourself up for optimal motivation by taking into consideration physiological factors. In the same way that you identify your negative thoughts and choose positives instead, it's vital to watch your body-brain states and bring them into harmony on a daily basis. It's essential that we put the body in a place of importance in the motivational mix. If your body is short of an important nutrient, you're going to battle with your motivation. If your body is not rested enough, feeling excited about your life will be hard work. If your body is not stretched and exercised regularly, you will be half as dynamic as you could be. So today, say 'hi' to that body and brain. Welcome them into your motivational life and fly baby, fly! © Catherine M Glennie