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Retreating into your own mind is a scary thought for many people.  Why?  Because they have a host of thoughts going on that cause them discomfort, stress, and pain.  So, how could Marcus Aurelius say the following?

“People look for retreats for themselves, in the country, by the coast, or in the hills . . . There is nowhere that a person can find a more peaceful and trouble-free retreat than in his own mind. . . . So constantly give yourself this retreat, and renew yourself.” – Marcus Aurelius

The context in which Aurelius said the above quote was in his writing about how many of the things people concern themselves with are small and insignificant in the grand scheme of life and the universe.

However, when it is you who has the concern, the problem, the challenge, along with the stress and pain associated with it, that’s as real as it gets.  It’s as if that concern, problem and pain is the present, even if it’s something happened in the past or something that hasn’t happened in the future.

People use a variety of things to quiet those nagging thoughts.  They never allow themselves to be without noise so they can drown out their own thoughts.  The car’s sound system blasts out songs and podcasts so they don’t have to hear those thoughts ruminating.  They make phone call after phone call so they don’t have time to think.  They watch TV shows and movies marathon-style to occupy their thinking.  They go from one Social Media site to another to keep from hearing their own thoughts.

Yet, as Aurelius pointed out, and those who have found peace within their own minds through various methods can attest, your mind can be the most restorative place you can ever be.

How to make your mind a place of retreat

Meditation, yoga, and mindfulness are a few ways people attempt to make their mind a peaceful place.   Others have used drugs, like LSD, marijuana, and ayauasca.  And many amazing changes have happened through those modalities.

What I have found working with clients for over 30 years is that the reason the mind becomes a villain, instead of a peacemaker, is the accumulation of stress. By removing the aggregated stress, the mind is able to get out of survival mode and back into the at-ease state it’s meant to be in.  (For an in-depth discussion on Theory of Mind and Consciousness, see my article HERE).

This is like pushing a “reset button”, releasing the pent-up stress and allowing the mind and body to truly relax.  Once in that state, then a person is at their baseline and can begin tapping into their full potential and all their possibilities.  All that energy they had been expending on fighting off negative thinking is now used for growth.

That may be finding the confidence, power, focus, and certainty they needed to create their definition of success. It might be dissolving past hurts, habits, hang-ups, and limiting beliefs that had been holding them captive to the past and causing relationship problems (personally and professionally), low-performance in their jobs, and a general feeling of being “stuck”.

There are many articles here on ThriveGlobal.com that share how people start creating their mind into a place they can go for a retreat of peace and introspection.  I encourage you to find what works for you, just like the person in the video below has.  If you want to learn how she made her mind a place of retreat, feel free to contact me!

For more information, contact Dr. Lewellen at 972.900.9207 or ed@trans-think.com

Dr. Edward Lewellen is an expert in creating methodologies for people to learn to use their mind; their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and put them back in control of their lives and become top-producers. He is a Master Executive Coach, leadership and sales expert, and keynote speaker for some of the largest global organizations.

Author of:

Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life

The 90-Second Mind Manager