The War Of The Mind

The human brain is perhaps the greatest invention of all time. It has created the mind, an environment of consciousness, which produces our thoughts and ideas. It’s fascinating to think that the physical structures of the brain can create a non-physical experience.

But just because the brain is advanced doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. As Steven Levinson says in his book ‘Following Through’, “humanity is an awkward stage of human development”. The mind is caught in between two different worlds. 

On one hand we have old structures, what he calls the “Primitive Guidance System” that makes decisions and generates motivation based on our needs. We’ve also got the “Intelligent Guidance System” that is more advanced, creative, and connected to our conscious desires. The problem is, it is often the case that these two Guidance Systems don’t want the same thing, and it creates an internal conflict. 

It’s precisely this conflict that is responsible for the war of the mind. We want to be successful but we’re afraid to take risks. We want to be fit but we’re wired to conserve energy. We want to have incredible life experiences but we have a tendency toward what’s comfortable. 

The goal isn’t necessarily to get the two Guidance Systems to work together, but at least to start independently wanting the same thing. That way you’re not getting pulled in two directions. Achieving that is a much larger conversation, one that’s central to Dr.Levinson’s book “Following Through” and my book, yet to be released, called “The Follow Through Formula”.

But when you master it, there is in fact a payoff. The Bhagavad Gita, a sacred text of Hinduism, states “For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy.”

The quality of our life is determined by the way we perceive it. Our existence happens between our ears.  It’s entirely an inner-game, and a battle worth fighting.

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