Skip to main content

The Evolving Conscious Mind...



A while ago I was scrolling through my social media feed as on normal days. While I was busy keeping my senses pre-occupied with this gratifying task at hand, all of a sudden I had a great epiphany. I was left beyond mere wonder upon making this crucial discovery and would like to enumerate more about it. A creative insight into what I would describe as the 'evolving conscious mind' or 'rational mind'.

Conscious thinking is what I would describe - a state of mind optimally attained where one is able to think rationally in the moment. In other words, adopt a clear lens in distinguishing between a truth, a reality and a fantasy. It is an aphorism to how we live our present-day lives right from our teenage years, to adulthood and finally the receding years of our lifespan. Conscious thinking in a more broad sense dictates the very choices we make, the decisions we take and more importantly how we choose to streamline the natural course of our existence on this Planet Earth.

All of us, whether we may choose to agree or disagree are constantly in the process of an evolving conscious and sub-conscious mind. This in turn is influenced by whatever events or circumstances we may have encountered at various stages of our lives. It also includes forces not limited to political beliefs, religious beliefs, cultural beliefs as well as the broad encompassing- national beliefs. 

In the beginning years of our existence, our surroundings are what shape the early beliefs about life. This includes our parents from whom we inherit our existence including the surrounding community. As human beings from the early times, we initially grow up inheriting these traits as a means of survival. It is what we would refer to as the 'survival of the fittest'. Our surroundings are what characterize our innermost environment. It is this innermost environment that shapes the way we think or perceive life and the things around us.

As we grow up and enter the early school years of our life, our value systems and beliefs are further shaped by the people whom we may encounter. This includes individuals not limited to educators, school-mates, bus-mates etc. It is these constant interactions that we have for the next 12 years of our life that go about further shaping how we start to perceive things and in the process, form a rational re-construction of life's realities. At this point, there comes a stage where we start to face a dilemma. This comes as a result of conflicting beliefs and values we have inherited from our families vis-à-vis what we have learnt from our educational environment. This in turn is further shaped by the educational system including the broad framework that encompasses it. At this juncture, it is imperative that we undertake a critical examination to evaluate the pre-requisites needed to thrive in the evolving world that we are destined for, once we complete our formal education. This is also the period where our mindset starts to evolve as we make a significant transition away from our primitive or primal instincts in order fit in with the needs of this ever-changing society.

Then comes in the collegiate or university period. This is interestingly the time where all the value systems and beliefs that we had adopted until school years, go haywire. It is also the time where we really start to discover the deepest truths of our lives and existence, some of which run contradictory to what we would have initially thought or ever imagined. This is also the time where we start to develop our critical thinking and reasoning abilities in order to help us trespass with the challenges of life before we immerse ourselves into the real world.

Next we have thrust upon us, the corporate world. This true world suddenly makes it's onslaught upon our lives and it is here that we really start to reason out with life's realities. We seek to make sense with how our beliefs and perceptions of life were shaped over the years. In the process, we also unlearn certain beliefs about life so as to fit within a broader purpose of our existence in the organization. We are also further shaped by the vision and mission of the organization, the culture including the relations that we forge as part of our roles in the firm. 

This cycle continues all the way till the time we grow old until we age out. In all the above stages of our lives, our minds our restructured or rewired to handle the challenges or adversities that come upon us as we move from one phase to the next. It is no doubt that when we reflect on our past circumstances, we find the challenges of the erstwhile time easier than we would have imagined. All of this adds up to a constant and continuous cycle of what I would refer as a constantly evolving - 'conscious mind'.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Edited and published in Herald Goa on 3 Jun 2022 (People's Edit)



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Pulao in the Making

It was a Sunday afternoon of another weekend in Goa. Coming home from the long ardous journey, I spent a few minutes sifting through the pages of the local daily.  All of a sudden, I was taken aback by the sumptuous aroma of a Goan dish that filled the entire household as my mum set off to prepare it as part of a huge spread for the feast day. I have no words to describe my love and fascination towards this dish that I now proudly consider on such days as T.G.I.P.D - Thank God It's Pulao Days. With its strong aroma - a culmination of the spices of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves - 'pulao' is but one of the dishes that has grown to occupy a prominence in many Goan households on feast days. Driven by the aroma it brings in, everytime my mum has prepared it, I also drew a liking towards this delicacy. After a lot of convincing with my grandmother, I was finally granted my spot in the vast expansive kitchen. As it is customary in most households, men are not accustomed to be in the...
18 comments
Read more

The Balloon Seller...

In the heart of the Al Yarmouk church neighbourhood, there is a man selling inflatable balloons on the side walk. With a broad smile on his face - he is a true beacon of hope, always spreading joy to all the passersby as they make their way for the weekly Sunday service. Surviving on meagre income from the sale of balloons, he often greets us as we make our way  for the service. He never fails to enquire as to our health as he greets us though we never purchase any of his balloons.  Days and months have gone by as we have kept meeting him every Sunday evening before mass. One day, as we entered the church gate - I was as usual on the lookout out for him. The spot was completely empty - a blank pavement with passersby coming to and fro from the church. At that moment, I was in a state of thoughtfulness. I wondered where this individual could be or where he may have gone. Weeks and months passed, and we could still not see him. We then decided to keep him in our prayers - hopi...
6 comments
Read more

Musandam Changed Me.

How many of you have ever been on an adventure that completely changed the your view towards life? One moment, you’re having fun, and the next, you’re questioning everything. That’s exactly what happened to me two years ago on a trip to Musandam.  It was one of those great moments – calm waters, blue skies and excitement of trying something new. One of the activities was the banana boat ride. Now, if you haven’t tried it before, it’s exactly what it sounds like—a banana-shaped boat tied to a speedboat that drags you across the water at high speed… until it flips, sending everyone crashing into the sea. I was excited. I had never done something this adventurous before. The ride started, and within minutes, we were flying across the waves.The boat sailed for a span of 15 to 20 minutes in high speed, when all of sudden – Swooooooooshhhhhh! The rope tied to the banana boat was left lose. I clung to my life jacket as if it were the only thing  keeping me alive, my fingers...
2 comments
Read more