What do you do with your critical mind?
It might be a mental spectrum particular to a certain set of conditions; either innate or learned. Perhaps legalism, alcoholism, duplicity, perfectionism, (etc.) all play a role in creating this pattern in our brains. Let’s take a fun little jaunt across a potential* spectrum of our human critical mind. Trust me, I’m a self-made expert.
One end of the critical mind spectrum could be keen discernment; a valuable skill in relationships, work, emotional growth and decision-making. Hanging out on this end of our critical mind requires a commitment to training and control, so our thinking is oriented toward love and strategic life growth. If I’m keyed in and connected specifically to the true-north goals I’ve set for my relationships, and the trajectory Steve and I want for our family and our work, the power of my mind to discern what either fuels or fights that trajectory is stunning.
This discernment end of the critical mind spectrum is where we sense the right thing to do and feel confident that our commitment to growth is fueled by the right thoughts and inspirations. I feel strong convictions about priorities for our family’s time, the memories we create, the work we invest in. It’s why my house is not always clean and the pile of papers in my home office is still growing. (Priority: Fun.)
Living in this end of my critical mind does require extra pruning. Being aware of our saboteur † means we actually change sentences mid-stream. And by “we” I mean me and my brain. Driving down the road with my daughter, I might rush to speak and start a thought that I actually interrupt and pivot to a different topic entirely because my brain said “woah sister, that’s unnecessary.” I flip a negative thought to a positive thought because I know my teenager can be seared with one criticism for way longer than I ever wish.
I hold back complaints about messes because the moment isn’t right and my family doesn’t need to hear this thought** right now. I know I shake my head visibly when a stupid thought about my husband’s choice in cooking utensils gets wrestled to the ground in my cerebral battlefield (still working in this area of the spectrum:) .
The other end of the critical mind spectrum is the impulsive and ridiculous critical thoughts that fly into our brains because of our culture and our nature, and actually make it into the atmosphere. We can pick a metaphor here. A common one: ya can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. The damage is done. Apologies do help, if we realize the damage. But the scars are real on both sides of the thought. We not only affect the person who heard our nastiness, but we’ve deepened the groove on that end of our critical mind spectrum. We’ve taken another slice toward desensitizing ourselves and being right.
The racing of these thoughts, and their role in our world is a fascinating daily part of my life in surprising frequency. I have often said that my thought-life killed my first marriage. Trust me, it’s not as ridiculous as it sounds. My rationalization of my right-ness, and my skillful sharp tongue were weapons that hurt people in my earlier years. I have learned to control these weapons and I couldn’t do it without God’s help. But envisioning the battlefield is part of the fun in conquering the uglies and cheering on the victories – the little ones and the big ones. (Or maybe the little ones are the big ones.)
Have a great and stunning day friends!
…be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is. Romans 12:1
*I made it up
**nag
† the evil mind
