No matter how clever and cleverest you are, many people are not able to concentrate their minds. But there are some things we can do to make up our minds more easily than anything else. For that, it is only necessary to consciously pay attention to certain spiritual matters.
Researchers at Harvard University have found that our minds wander 47 percent of the time. Studies show that this happens when traveling, at work, and even in churches. We cannot be happy with an open mind, when we have such a wandering mind. Researchers say that, “the man has a wandering mind. The wandering mind is an unhappy mind.”
We need an understanding of what is going on inside of us. Social media and smartphone technologies are the best fertilizer to bring our mind to many thoughts. We flow through a river of posts, emails, texts and phone calls. So we are solely responsible for all the random thoughts that arise from this.
We need to think about the priorities that need to be given in our lives and in our days. Believers need to ask themselves how they relate to their Creator. All we have to do is find out what is distorting our thoughts and eliminate them. Sometimes it can be some individuals, other times it can be certain events. Even so, owning one is still beyond the reach of the average person. Yet there are many people whose lives are stuck in high-tech smartphone apps that are a part of our lives. But instead we can move on to low-tech wisdom from the great traditions of the world. Even centuries ago, our ancestors devised ways to bring about a wandering mind.
We have many saints who led a monastic life like Saint Benedict of the sixth century. Monastic communities pray six or more times a day. But finding time to pray at regular intervals in our daily routine is quite a chore. Even if you find the time, it is very difficult to continue. For that, St. Ignatius Loyola suggests a way out. Twice a day we can spend a few moments thanking Him for the blessings. Say thank you and check out our failures. Then ask Him for help to complete the day. Just keep our eyes focused on one thing for a while sitting still. Think of white and green, which are especially refreshing colors. Or it could be the face of Jesus Christ, which makes our minds more vibrant. By doing so, we can get rid of all other thoughts. All these methods will help us to concentrate the mind and thereby make our life healthier.