Training Your Mind Is Just As Important
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”―Joseph Addison
At Wild Foods, we are big believers in the importance of the connection between mind and body. To us, fitness is as much a mental thing as a physical one.
Our favorite way to train the mind is reading. I read fiction, non-fiction, essays, blogs, articles, and whatever.
Reading expands one’s awareness of not only the world but of oneself. And that is where the true benefit lies.
Sure, it’s great to be a great conversationalist—a benefit to being an avid reader—but what you learn about yourself provides the most outstanding results.
Socrates said, “Know thyself.” We agree.
After all, how do you find true happiness if you don’t know what brings you true joy?
That’s not a trick question, not at all. It’s an essential one and one that you need to ask yourself.
We all struggle with knowing ourselves. It’s one of the most challenging things in life.
Reading is one way we do this. Of course, there is a list of other benefits from reading. Just do it.
For optimal physical health, move as often as possible—walk, exercise, run, lift weights, climb, crawl, and swim.
Exercise your brain as often as possible for optimal mental health—read, learn, converse, and experiment.
That was going to be the end of this piece, but then I stumbled on this quote:
“ Many of us are slaves to our minds. Our mind is our worst enemy. We try to focus, and our mind wanders off. We try to keep stress at bay, but anxiety keeps us awake at night. We try to be good to the people we love, but then we forget them and put ourselves first. And when we want to change our life, we dive into spiritual practice and expect quick results, only to lose focus after the honeymoon has worn off. We return to our state of bewilderment. We’re left feeling helpless and discouraged. We all agree that training the body through exercise, diet, and relaxation is a good idea, but why don’t we think about training our minds?” ―Sakyong Mipham.
Founder/CEO, Wild Foods
