The Secret to Peace of Mind

Have your thoughts been self-destructive? Have you felt that your internal dialogue betrays you? What if I told you the secret to have more peace of mind? It all starts with rethinking a commonly used phrase and revealing a mindset that could change your life.

      Whether you’re Christian or not, many people are familiar with the phrase an idle mind is the devil’s playground (Proverbs 16:27). We assume that God is warning us against laziness. Yet if you look at the origins of the word idle you start to think that maybe God meant something different, something very relevant to people who struggle with mental health. Idle comes from an old English word meaning empty and useless. An idle mind implies more than just a lazy mind, an idle mind is one filled with useless thoughts. If the scripture was meant to point out laziness maybe idle hands would have been used. However, the idleness God speaks about is in the mind, and we experience the mind through thought. For those of you who struggle with overthinking, anxiety, negative self-talk, etc., you know how useless and destructive some of those thoughts can be. The devil’s playground is the mind that overlooks the mission to be present and love God and fellow human beings, getting lost in the negativity and anxiety of an idle mind. We may deceive ourselves into believing that money, achievement, or social status is what we want, but I think many of us really crave peace of mind, the ability to handle life with serenity. You can gain more peace of mind by guarding against the empty and useless thoughts that rob you of peace, one optimistic, happy, present, thought at a time.

     Is the insecurity and disturbance still there? Of course, I feel it now, writing as an insecure writer and sharing advice as an insecure human. But I will not let such thoughts overpower me or deprive me of my resolve to be the kind of person I want to be, to live the life that I want my mind to experience. Legendary college basketball coach John Wooden hits the nail on the head when it comes to finding peace of mind. He says, “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” Be your best today, regardless of those thoughts warring against you. Every thought of insecurity, anxiety, and negative self-talk is no longer welcome. Give those destructive thoughts the long overdue eviction notice they deserve. Give your mind a rest today.

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