As many of us are creatures of habit, who go about our lives that are surrounded by adventure, risks, beliefs and convictions, much of what we do is affected by the information and experiences of our today and yesterdays. Many of us think that the thoughts and ideas that our minds generate on a daily basis come directly from ourselves, with no intervention or influence from the outside…..we are who we are. Well, sometimes it isn’t that simple. Our minds, for a lack of a better word, are like little sponges absorbing much of what we take in through our senses, and the scary part is we’re not always aware of what’s coming in. The subconscious mind takes over where the conscious mind leaves off.

Everyday our minds are continuously bombarded with information from people, places and things like television and radio. The substance from these influences have a direct impact upon how we react and how we see the world. Our job is to continually be aware that self-monitoring is vital for every one of us to stay in control and balanced. Recently there’s been quite a few cases of children killing children. When interviewed, many of the accused have a reoccurring sentence in their interviews. When asked why they did such a terrible thing, their eyes become blank and they speak the words, “I don’t know.” Nowhere in our lives are we more vulnerable and exposed then when we are children. We listen to EVERYTHING. Our habits and responses are developed at this crucial juncture. Here in America I know we live in a free society but each one of us has a responsibility to personally monitor that freedom within ourselves and our children. The children look to us for the guidance that is needed to help develop their minds. No man or woman is an island. We all share and interact with each other daily. What happens down the street or around the corner is important to us, not just what happens in our own homes. If not addressed, those problems down the street one day ring our doorbell.

Have you ever gone to the movies and seen a picture that was so disturbing that as you left the movie theater your mind was haunted by the images? Two or three days later you still were in the process of getting over the shock of what you saw. Well, life works the same way. As we wear coats to protect ourselves during winter, and open umbrellas to shield ourselves from the rain, so too we must remember to wear a helmet of awareness to protect our minds… A helmet that is made from Love, Insight, Compassion, Faith, and Healing. I’m not saying to shut ourselves off from the world….but it’s very important to process the information coming in with objectivity. What’s the benefit from all of this? You start to see that the filtering system makes us become healthier…and as we become healthier we become better people, not only for ourselves, but for others too. The energy that you put out becomes more positive and more fulfilling. You begin to feel like part of the answer, not the question.

Take the time to love,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon