Don’t Feed Your Mind on Junk.
Aside from taking prescribed medication, and following ‘the bipolar rules’, it is my firm belief that the safest way to stay out of depression and maintaining your mental health, is to guard your heart. Please note, I didn’t say the easiest way, I said the safest way, because I recognise that guarding the heart towards positive thoughts can be difficult especially when the circumstances vividly reflect negativity.
Let me give an example. This past week, I posted daily on my Facebook timeline. For some people it’s just okay especially if the updates are value oriented and inspiring in some way – which is what I strive to achieve each time upload an update- yet this Monday morning, I woke up with a ‘feeling’ of, “you are becoming too loud on social media, more like a chatter box, are you sure you are not trying to gain unnecessary attention?” and the conversation continues in my head, “ are you sure that you are not making your life public? Must you post often?”
An ability to guard to your heart is an ability to guard your life.
There are so many creative ways to guard your heart, you just have to establish what works for you and have a personal definition of what ‘guard’ means to you.
For me, to guard my heart means that;
1) I will deliberately look for good in every situation. This speaks to perceptions and perspectives. This was what helped me with my Monday morning feeling. I replaced the negative self-talk with this perspective: You can’t be an inspiration if you are not inspired. Let the Holy Spirit be the influence that inspires you. (That was my #notetoself and my #mondaymotivation)
2) I will not be causal about what I allow my mind to feed on. Just as I am careful not to eat junk food, I am deliberate about the quality of entertainment and conversations I expose my mind to.
3) I will be grateful for the one I have. Because what we have per time is enough for the season that we are in. Here contentment is the watch word. Contentment doesn’t mean that you would not strive to be better and become more, it means that while you are striving for the best you acknowledge with humility where you are now while also embracing the new opportunities to become more.
4) I will serve. Yes, I will serve by voluntarily offering help where it is within my capacity. Serving whole heartedly without eye service leaves me with an indescribable feeling of fulfilment. Knowing that an act of kindness made a positive difference in the life of another is a strong protective thought that keeps my emotions in a safe and healthy place.
5) I will rejoice. I will do as the song writer wrote: I will rejoice and be glad. I will rejoice and be glad. I will lift up my voice to sing praise to the Lord, because this is the day He has made.
Here’s the summary: Guard your heart. Rejoice. See the Good. Serve and be
grateful. Truly, to guard your heart is to guard your life.
My name is Precious, I was Bipolar and I live a full life
Prayer: Dear Lord, give me the grace to guard my heart with your thoughts. Fill my mind with all of you, let there be no space for ‘me, myself and I thoughts’
Reference: Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. – Proverbs 4: 23, King James Version.
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