Wise Mind versus Reasonable and Emotional Mind

 

Our Emotional Mind

Are you focused on your emotions?

Do you have a hard time taking your mind off of assignments or daily responsibilities?

Do you strive for urgency in your tasks and look for immediate rewards?

Do you have a hard time wanting anyone to disagree with you?

These are some of the symptoms of having an emotional mind. In this situation, people focus strongly on their emotions and not much thought of reasoning. It allows people to be in touch with their feelings but sometimes they act impulsively. Emotional mind behaves in regard to whatever makes it feel better in the present moment without much thought on the actions and decisions which affect the future. This way of thinking is not strategic or goal oriented.

Our Reasonable Mind

Do you push aside your feelings as unimportant?

Do you ignore your intuition or as some call your gut feeling?

Are you completely unaware of other people's feelings and get frustrated dealing with your own emotions?

Are you lacking in feelings of joy or love and instead have a sense of numbness 

These are some of the symptoms of having a reasonable mind. In this instance, people associate strongly with thinking in a rational and task focused way. The process of this more logical thinking means arriving at conclusions based on objectivity, analysis, and fact oriented. Emotions play a non-important role in making decisions. 

The balance of Wise Mind

Finding a middle ground will give the balance we need to help tame the reasonable and emotional side. The wise mind will help support a clear and unified sense of self. It will help us tap into our intuition, inner wisdom and gut feeling. It is a mindfulness skill which makes us aware of our thoughts and feelings. 

We are then able to observe everything that is happening in our lives and gain a perspective from a distance. By quieting our minds we can approach situations more calmly which causes a space to open up in our awareness and becomes that middle ground we desire. However, quieting our minds is not easy. It takes practice like meditation. 

Here's a great summary in video form of the topics I covered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uOGRaTaVv4

Meditation makes perfect

A number of therapists in the field of Dialectical Behavior Therapy give some practical exercises while doing your meditation to better achieve wise mind. Meditation always starts with focusing on the breath and then on our stomach area which is the chakra or center of our gut feeling. Once we are able to quiet the mind through long term practice we can then access both aspects of reason and emotion. 

We can start to ask ourselves what feels right.

Does this feel right? Is this a wise decision?

The answer does not always come right away and so we need to keep trying. Some other practices that therapists give are:

-Breathing in, we ask wise mind a question. Breathing out, we wait for the answer.

-Breath in, we say wise mind in. Breath out, we say wise mind out.

-Breath in, give wise self a scenario to solve. Breath out, wait for an answer.

There's no one real solution in the exercises above and you need to find what works best for you. In the end we are all just looking for a better way to solve problems in a more balanced approach. Finding that middle path will lead in my opinion to a more calm, confident and courageous self.

Recommended Readings: The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho