How to break free from the prison of your mind
Humans tend to become prisoners within their own bodies.
We live and operate a living, breathing vehicle: our body. We also come equipped with a power control center: our minds. The brain develops over time, but has a lasting effect on how we interact with the world. The mind essentially operates our navigational system in life; our thoughts, emotions, feelings, and how we perceive the world and what happens to us.
Genevan philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau once wrote:
“Man is born free, but everywhere he lives in chains”
I feel that as human beings with free will, the mind tends to limit itself from living to the fullest when we become prisoners of our own mind. We create these self-inflicted chains at times when there is no need for them.
I believe the chains that Rousseau is describing are limiting beliefs. These chains of limited beliefs are carried everywhere we go because the beliefs are not limited to being in one environment, we take our body and soul vehicle everywhere!
Examples of limiting beliefs are:
· I am not good enough
· I can’t move forward in my life
· I am stuck
· The world is a dark place
· Humanity is doomed to fail
Limiting beliefs are self-imposed limitations that we consciously, or unconsciously set in our mind. This can be caused by a variety of different things such as our environment, our education, our families, the ego making excuses, etc. Even being afraid of success and power can cause us to limit our beliefs on ourselves and the world. Fear is a huge chain on the mind that causes our soul to endure this “mental prison” with our mind when it doesn’t need to be there.
One of my favorite stoic philosophers Epictetus once said:
“It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it, that matters”
Our reactions are what can cause our brains to either break free, or feel stuck. Understanding emotional intelligence and mental health can help give people the options to learn how to operate themselves better (after all, we’re just a living machine).
This is where I feel that stoicism and understanding the wisdom from ancient times can help us in today’s society where things are changing faster than ever. In order to keep up with the times, we have to move forward, but keeping a foot rooted in the past could help us find stability in a world that can be chaotic.
The mind is the most fragile part about being human, because our thoughts can make or break us. If we have control over our minds, we can overcome anything. Yet, if we keep telling ourselves we are limited, we put ourselves in our own mental jail, which leads to anguish, despair, and uncertainty which plagues our existence. This is where existentialism can help some people, because existentialism is aware of the dread of human existence but empowers us to take control and create the reality we want.
Existential philosopher Jean Paul Sartre also noted on free-will the following:
“Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.”
The statement “condemned to be free” is powerful, because it can be interpreted that we have to be consciously aware of our choices and our actions, because everything comes at a price.
Understanding that statement alone is enough to cause a human being anguish. Emotions such as fear, anguish and despair can become limited beliefs, until you can overcome them and use philosophical view points from existentialism, or stoicism to create a better life. If you are an existentialist, and believe that life is full of anguish and despair, being able to accept that “truth” can bring you peace and allow you to overcome yourself. If you are a stoic, all that matters is keeping your mind in a healthy state by realizing the importance of living one day at a time and not becoming slaves to our emotions.
So, is there any way to break free from these chains? Are we condemned to be in these prisons forever?
I know as human beings, we are all capable of escaping the chains that limit us.
You just have to be willing and show a desire to understand yourself on an emotionally deep level to be able to free yourself. Once you make attempts to understand your mind, your emotions, and overall ability that comes with being human, you have the daunting choice to get out of your own comfort zone. Once you make that first step to over come your limiting beliefs, you’re already half way there.
After all, you’re not condemned to stay anywhere forever.
-Cecilia J. Sanders
