Writers Write
Mind Tricks
This morning, the eerie sound of the howling wind awakened me. The temperature had dropped overnight from 73 degrees to 43 degrees. I snuggled deeper into the covers and thought about how much I love autumn, especially October (now nicknamed “Ghostober”), a time when the icy fingers of winter start dipping toward Earth. I love the magic of the leaves changing from green to neon colors. I love the intoxicating aroma of pumpkin spice. I love the thrill of the coolness outside, and the warmth to the soul caused my hot soups and hot drinks.
We are just one week from Halloween, usually a time when random children in costumes ring our doorbells and issue the strange demand of “Trick or Treat.” This year, there is even going to be a full, blue moon on October 31st.
Halloween can be all about scary stuff, like witches, goblins, werewolves, vampires, etc. Nothing is really scary, though, as all the costumes are in good fun. Actually being scared is something altogether different.
I was scared a few nights ago while sitting in my recliner and watching a crime show on TV. I heard an extremely light knocking at my front door, sounding like Edgar Allen Poet’s line in The Raven, “so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door.” My mind immediately imagined an evil doer trying to sneak into my house.
I muted and paused the TV, but as soon as I did so, I heard nothing. Deciding I had imagined the knocking, I went back to watching TV. I heard the light knocking again! I repeated the mute and pause twice more before I realized the source of the problem.
I had been subconsciously shaking the foot of my outstretched leg, and the light tapping was actually my own house shoe brushing against the recliner. I laughed at myself, then thought about how our own minds often play tricks on us. My mind had immediately decided that there was evil involved, when the truth was that only my restless foot was involved. My own mind lied to me!
I’m not suggesting in any way that we ever ignore a danger signal or even what appears to be a danger signal. Better safe than sorry! But other times my mind tells me things that do not help me improve as a human, like when my mind tells me, “You need to be ashamed of your body,” or “No, you cannot sing/write/dance [fill in the blank].”
The good news is that I can banish these thoughts and be transformed for the best by renewing my mind (as Romans 12:2 advises). I do this by reminding myself that I can banish bad thoughts and think good ones. I change my thoughts, which changes my outlook and attitude. And if needed, you can use the same trick, which is actually also a treat!