There are times in life where we just feel good. Things are rolling, momentum is building, and it feels like we are flourishing. We are energized, excited, enriched, and stimulated.
In times like this, we tend to feel mentally sharp. Present. In the moment. Our mind is clear, and we can engage with our environment and those around us in a meaningful, energizing way.
Then there are times where we feel the opposite; when we just don’t feel great. We feel drained, under-stimulated, numb… like we’re stagnating. Not growing, not learning, not excited for the future. It feels like our energy has been zapped out of us, and it’s hard to find more of it.
In times like this, our mind feels dull. Absent. Like we’re wandering through life, not driving it.
Our mind is our ultimate tool
Without our mind, we have nothing. It is the prism through which all of our experiences pass through.
When it’s sharp, we think clearly. We can move through life with agility. With purpose. We make choices that nourish us. Our experiences feel more rich, potent, and memorable.
When our mind is dull, it’s like the lights have been dimmed on life. Our experiences feel less visceral. Everything feels more bland.
When our minds are sharp, not only does our experience of life improve, but the way we contribute to the world around us is dramatically enhanced.
A sharp mind can be a powerful tool, a dangerous weapon, and a clear lens to look through.
A sharp mind cuts through tasks and challenges with ease. Focus comes quickly to a sharp mind, and it can be maintained. A dull mind can hack away at a simple task for hours, while making little progress. A dull mind struggles to focus, and as a result, cannot conquer mental challenges.
Why don’t we all have sharp minds all the time?
Like any tool that we use endlessly, our mind dulls without maintenance. It takes work – active effort – to build and maintain a sharp mind. Much of the world is designed to pull us into activities that feel good in the short term but leave us feeling weaker and duller in the long term. Further, mind-sharpening activities are not always easy. They often feel good once we’re doing them, but getting ourselves to do them can be difficult.
Sharpening our minds takes work. But it’s worthwhile and highly rewarding work (the best kind of work).
And because we are all unique, diverse creatures, the ways our minds need to be sharpened is unique to us. For example, some people need alone time to stay sharp, while others need more social time. Some people need to write, some need to meditate, some need to swim, some need to cook, and some need to sleep (okay, we all need to sleep - but at varying times for varying durations).
It is essential for us to identify the activities that sharpen our minds, as well as the activities that dull them.
When we have a clear understanding of these activities, we can make better decisions about where to spend our time, energy, and resources.
So, let’s do what we do best to figure this out - make a list!
Build your mental tool box
The task at hand is simple: Make two columns. - One for activities that sharpen your mind. - One for activities that dull your mind.
Activities that sharpen your mind should fill you up with energy – excite you, rejuvenate you, stimulate you, strengthen you, de-clutter your mental space, and generally make your head feel clearer and more focused.
Activities that dull your mind are those that make you feel less like yourself. They drain you of energy, under-stimulate you, weaken you, clutter your mind, and generally fog up your head space.
Here’s an example of my list:
Yours might look different. Maybe it’s climbing, or drawing, or long baths that make you feel sharper. Maybe it’s going to bed late, or too much social time, or not eating enough that makes you feel duller.
Either way, going through the exercise of listing out these activities helps us make better decisions on how to spend our time. That way, when you’re deciding what to do one night and you’re feeling a bit dull, you might choose to opt for a sharpening activity instead of one that will leave you feeling more dull.
Sometimes we simply need to sharpen the mind to get back to our usual crisp self, and having a few sharpeners to reach for makes the process easier.
Staying sharp
Life is about balance, and there will be times when sharpening and dulling activities ebb and flow, but it’s always useful to get to know our minds better, and learn how to shape (and sharpen) them with our choices.
So, the next time you’re feeling dull, lost, drained, or just not feeling like yourself – come back to this list, and reach for an activity in the sharpening column. You’ll never regret taking your mind to the shop, cleaning up the mental clutter and coming out with your ultimate tool back in mint condition.
So, pull out a journal, make your mental tool box, and sharpen away!