Every day, stand guard at the door of your mind
/A while back, I participated in a Tony Robbins seminar. I had some great learnings, with one of the most captivating being the following.
Tony spoke to us about how his mentor, Jim Rohn, gave him a crucial piece of advice. Jim told Tony “Every single day, you have to stand guard at the door of your mind.” I found a video of Tony talking about this, just go to 4:35 (4 minutes and 35 seconds) in this video to take a look.
When Tony told us this, I thought to myself: "Do I stand guard at the door of my mind…Every. Single. Day?"
There are two things to be watchful for: (1) the negative toxicity that might enter your mind unless you are standing guard and (2) the lack of positive nourishment that goes into our mind daily.
I do well with the latter; I always make sure I read, see, and hear content that feeds my mind and soul. But how good am I at the former? How much negativity and toxicity do I allow to come in?
Here’s how I stand guard at the door of my mind today:
- Social Media: I unfollow anyone who is consistently negative over Facebook Instagram, and Pinterest.. Facebook is great as it gives you the option to just “unfollow” someone vs. “unfriending” them completely. On the other social media platforms that do not give this option, I disconnect completely.
- News: I don’t watch, hear, or read anything that is sensational. I do try to stay abreast on the major issues that might be going on in the world, but I stay clear of anything that thrives on fear mongering or sensationalism.
- Community: (e.g. family, friends, neighbors) If you are a negative, angry person, I probably do not spend a lot of time with you. Period. A few years ago, my husband and I used to double date with another couple. The wife of our friend was so incredible negative and angry, that I eventually told my husband I refused to meet up as a group. He could meet up with his guy friend on his own for coffee, etc. but I would not participate on double dates. The couple is now divorced so it’s no longer an issue, though I continue to be committed and serious about protecting my mind, heart, and space.
- Work: This is always the question I get: What if we don’t have a choice and there’s negativity at our job? Well, that’s why there’s “professionalism” to fall back on. In any given situation, ask yourself “What is the most professional thing I could do right now?” Move on from the personal and stand confidently in professionalism. It is always nice to be able to make friends at work, but you do not have to go around being best buddies with everybody. If someone is toxic, get what you need from them to do your job, give them what they need to do their job, keep it as professional as possible, and immediately slam shut the gate to your mind, heart, and soul.
Here is one last thing I do before I start my day that helps me stand guard at the door of my mind. Before walking into any situation (especially ones situations where you I know you I will encounter difficult people), I set my intention. I might state my intention to be kind or generous. Maybe it’s to be forgiving but respectful of myself and my boundaries. Whatever it may be, I state what my intention is and remind myself that I will not take on anyone’s negative thoughts or energies.
Despite the above efforts, I know I can do better. We can all probably do better. Can we confidently say that we stand guard at the gate of our minds every moment of every day?
It is surprising how we can allow the insecurities and frustrations of others into our minds, and often into our hearts, and end up feeling depleted and worn down.
It is powerful to remember how much self-love and self-respect we should have for ourselves to stand guard at the gate of our minds. We must honor our value, and all that we can bring to the world, enough to protect it.
Do you know someone who can benefit from standing guard at the door of his mind? Share this article with them! As always, leave a comment or question below, I would love to hear from you.
Judith