Once, a horse was running quickly down the road. It seemed as if the man on the horse had somewhere important to go. Another man who was standing alongside the road shouted, “Hey, where are you going?” The man on the horse replied, “I don’t know, ask the horse.”
🐴 A monk who was standing nearby with some of his disciples looked at his disciples and said, “Did you all see the man who just passed from here very fast on the horse? What do you think about this incident?” The disciples said, “Master, the horse was out of control, and it was taking the rider to some unknown destination.” Listening to this, the master smiled and said, “My pupils, this horse is a symbol of our mind. This is how our mind is, just like a galloping horse, and we are just sitting on it, riding it without a clue as to where it is going. We don’t have any control over it, and it continues impulsively in the direction it wants to.”
🤔 Most of the people live their life just like this, at the mercy of their habits created by their minds. If you ask yourself what you are doing or why you are doing it, you might be surprised to learn that you are just being dictated by your habits and not by your free will. We are at war with our mind; we struggle incessantly to have control over it. Even if we close our eyes for just a minute, we see a deluge of images and thoughts across our mind. It becomes difficult for us to calm our mind even for a moment because we don’t have any control over it. We have never tried to control it; the mind is like a horse. If you have control over it, you can take it anywhere you want. But if you lose control over it, then you will get lost in mazes and will never be able to reach your destination.
🌟 If we see in our lives, we will find that it is our mind which is the cause of our happiness and sorrow, peace and distress, progress and failure. One who controls his mind ultimately attains happiness, peace, and progress. But those who are out of control of their minds ultimately get sorrow, distress, and failure. That’s why we should always try to control our minds. But now the question is, how can we control our minds? How can we break free from the slavery of the mind? Here, we will discuss some ways by which you can have control over your mind. These methods are simple but effective, so listen carefully.
- Breathing Exercise 🌬️: Your breath is the rein of your mind. The more control you have over your breath, the more control you will have over your mind. Breathing continuously changes with your emotions. To calm your body and control your emotions, practice slow and deep breathing. This exercise can help you control your mind and feel calm. If you practice breathing exercises daily for half an hour in the morning, you’ll have better control over your mind throughout the day.
- Break Addictions 🚭: Try to live without something you are addicted to. Don’t get used to something so much that you cannot live without it. For example, if you cannot live without your mobile phone, spend a few hours without it occasionally. Break the routine to gain control over your mind.
- Intellectual Control 🧠: Before fulfilling a desire that arises in your mind, think about the consequences. If the consequences are negative, explain it to your mind and try to curb that desire. For example, if you have a desire to smoke or drink, think about the harmful effects. By doing this, your mind will automatically give up the bad desire.
- Stay Busy 🏃♂️: Never keep your mind free. An empty mind is considered a devil’s house. Negative thoughts and desires often arise in an empty mind. Keep yourself engaged in some work, whether it’s studying, office work, or household chores. A busy mind is less susceptible to negative influences.
- Meditation 🧘: Practice meditation every day to keep your mind calm. Meditation teaches you to live in the present moment. The more your mind is in the present moment, the calmer it will be. A calm mind is easily directed in the right direction, and it helps you make right decisions.
- Read Good Books 📚: Read books that motivate your mind and instill good habits in you. Reading books can bring miraculous changes in our lives. All successful people have the habit of reading books. It changes your thinking, reduces stress, and promotes positive thoughts.
- Self-Confidence 🌟: Have confidence in yourself. Whatever work you do, do it with full confidence. Lack of self-confidence allows the mind to dominate you. With self-confidence, not only can you control your mind, but you can also achieve success in the outer world.
🌈 So, friends, these are some of the ways by which you can control your mind and overcome bad habits. If you can apply even one of these methods in your life, you will surely start to have control over your mind. It’s essential to understand that controlling our minds is not only necessary but also very beneficial. If you take control over this horse of your mind, you can take it anywhere and achieve anything in this world. 🌍