Five-A-day Mental Diet That Really Works
Heard of a mental diet? We have all heard and read about the 5 day campaign which endeavors to get us all into eating 5 fruits and vegetables in order to keeping healthy physically. So how about a mental diet? Below is our 5 a day mental diet for well being and wholeness.
Yes, this is the ‘original’ Soul Diet (grins):
#1 Give thanks
As you wake up, thank God for a new day. You are alive. You may not feel well but you have breathe, even if you are gasping for air! As long as there is life, there is hope. Being thankful is a choice. Thankful people are happier people. Being thankful for even the small things in life will lift your mood. Joyce Meyer says ‘I may not be where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be’. Even if you don’t think this applies to you, make today the start of that journey. In a week’s time, evaluate where you are. If you do, you will find that because you have taken a positive stance, you would be some distance from today, I promise you. Also, end the day with thanks too. You made it. Tomorrow is a new day. A gift and a promise.
#2 Sing
You may not have the best voice in the world but singing praises to God uplifts your spirit and soul. Chuck sings all the time. Sometimes I would wonder if he sings more than he talks to me. But there is something that songs do to the soul. Whenever Chuck used to feel ill, he would start singing. He even started learning to play the guitar and joined the choir. I can tell you, all these paved a great path towards his healing. When Saul was tormented, he asked David to play the harp for him. See 1 Samuel 16:23. As David played music, the evil spirit that was causing his torment would leave. Don’t downplay the power of songs and music! It plays a good role in the mental diet.
#3 Read
Someone once said who we are tomorrow is dependent on what we hear and the books we read. I am quite ‘picky’ what I read. Even if it is the news, and it is something gruesome or negative, I do not need to read all the various editions of it (i.e. CNN, SKY, BBC, FOX), or spend too much time on it. I do not want what I have read residing in my spirit and giving me nightmares ultimately. Yes, if you tend to get a lot of nightmares, start taking stock of what you are reading or watching!
The number 1 bestselling book in the world today is still the Bible! If you have never read the Bible, you will never know what is in it. I give you a challenge today. Start reading the Bible for the next 30 days consecutively. Start from the New Testament. Have an open mind too. Why not give it a go and include it in your mental diet plan.
#4 Meditate
God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8 to meditate on the Law in order to have good success in life. Having read the Bible or something inspirational, begin to meditate on what on what you have read. Meditating is the digestive part of reading and the digestive part of the mental diet. You need the inspiring words you have read to propel you into action. This can only happen when the words are part of you. And this is through meditation.
#5 Pray
Many ask why pray when God knows everything. Myles Munroe once said prayer is earthly license for heavenly interference. Prayer is giving God permission or license to interfere in earth’s affairs. You would not go into your neighbor’s house and start running things, even if there was a dire need to do so. He or she would run you out and rightly so! However, if they invite you to take charge over a project or task in their home, you can gladly do so without backlash. God cannot bulldoze His way into your affairs without your permission.
Do you do these already? Or some of them? Or none at all? Let us know how you get on! Happy mental dieting!
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