Remove the Static | The Wilderness Actually Changes the Way We Think
Mitch London
CEO Advisor | Relational Leadership & Growth Coach | Scaling Strategies for 8 & 9 Figure Companies | Author
The Wilderness Actually Changes The Way We Think
It's not a new concept that getting outdoors and into nature can have calming effects on our minds.
Get out for a 30 minute hike and you will see exactly what I'm talking about. Your stress levels will drop, you'll find yourself in awe of your surroundings and most likely you won't be ready to return to the day to day life.
What you may not realize at the time is your mind is actually resting, your soul is renewing.
https://go.justaddwilderness.com
There are some interesting correlations though between what science has discovered and what we know biblically as well.
A mind at rest is more productive, creative and of course peaceful.
Many people today are at war with themselves and they don't even realize it. We've all heard the saying "you are your own worst enemy". So how do we change that? The constant strain and unceasing demand on our attention is not only causing emotional drains but chemical and physiological drains as well.
Take a look at this article written by Alanna Ketler titled "Doctors Explain How Hiking Actually Changes Our Brains"
"Aside from the almost instant feeling of calm and contentment that accompanies time outdoors, hiking in nature can reduce rumination. Many of us often find ourselves consumed by negative thoughts, which takes us out of the enjoyment of the moment at best and leads us down a path to depression and anxiety at worst. But a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that spending time in nature decreases these obsessive, negative thoughts by a significant margin.
After reading this, one thing stood out to me in a major way. Almost like a light was being directed to it. "Consumed….Obsessive, Negative Thoughts." Isn't that what seems to be the trend now-a-days? Obsessive thoughts, Negative Thoughts…so many people are stuck in a cycle of destructive mental behavior. Allowing thoughts to consume them and direct their behaviors. The Bible tells us to take all of our thoughts captive and bring them into alignment. (2 Cor 10:5)
Depression is on the rise in America and the highest segment is teens(12-17). This age group has a 63 percent increase from 2013. Another astounding detail is the lack of physical activity among the same group. Teens are about as sedentary as a 60 year old. WOW!!!!! Let that sink in….
I'm on a mission to help men empty the mental pollution in their minds and find a state of rest. By doing this we open ourselves up to the opportunity for transformation to happen.
One of the participants of our last event here in Colorado sent me a message with a revelation he had. He works in the cable industry making sure that signals and information flows correctly. He talked about uninterrupted signals and the interference of noise.
Take a look here "…it was talking about the wireless telegraph and how astronomical interference would affect it, more specifically, the SNR or signal to noise ratio. When that was mentioned, a bang went off in my head, lol. As SNR is also a huge part of my job in the cable industry, this is one of the issues I deal with on a daily basis at work. The other day when I mentioned that area which had a problem for a long time and was difficult to locate, everyone kept trying to stop the noise but could never locate it because it kept moving around. Seriously, it would disappear and start coming from another section of the cable plant. I had other thoughts on it, that there was an underlying problem which was causing the noise and after several months, finally found the issue which was a splice connecting two pieces of trunk cable(main leg feeding area). So basically, any and all signal feeding back up the plant would experience reflections and bounce around which in turn caused the noise. So, back to the book and back to why you go into the wilderness is to get rid of the noise, raise the signal that God is sending so it can be heard. I had tried so many different things to make the cable plant better and I could make it better, but it was always temporary until I was able to fix the issue and let the signal through uninterrupted. I relate to that so well, where I tried to much to make myself better and could only find temporary relief until I did the same with my life. So now, when I feel things are starting to get to me and I'm feeling like there is too much noise in my life, I will have to, "Go camping to work on my SNR!" -Chuck
Whoa, how incredible of an example is that?!
When we have issues going on in our lives. Often times we find ourselves chasing phantom "noise" and not addressing the real issues. It is not until we identify the source that we can stop the interference and let God's signal through uninterrupted! Read that again!
Stop chasing phantom reflections of noise! Stop working so hard for temporary fixes. Address the source.
So many men I talk to are desperately trying to find a sense of purpose. Trying to fill the void deep inside with something positive and life giving. But they are chasing around phantom noises.
One of my mentors said "It is a great struggle to build anything in the midst of turmoil. As it is in the natural so it is in the spiritual. A child of God can have rest all around him or her and then experience supernatural breakthroughs".- Pastor Isaac
Trying to build the man you are supposed to be in the midst of turmoil is almost impossible. Trying to become the man your spouse needs you to be, the man God called you to be, the man you know you can be. To do this you need to be at rest.
“Many people are worried about how busy they are,” said Dr. Laurel Williams, chief of psychiatry at Texas Children’s Hospital.
“There’s a lack of community. There’s the amount of time that we spend in front of screens and not in front of other people. If you don’t have a community to reach out to, then your hopelessness doesn’t have any place to go.”
"The researchers noted that increased urbanization closely correlates with increased instances of depression and other mental illness. Taking the time to regularly remove ourselves from urban settings and spend more time in nature can greatly benefit our psychological (and physical) well-being."
If you are anything like me, you've probably felt many times in life that you were fighting with one hand tied behind your back and not in the overly confident way...lol.
We need brothers, we need other men to speak life into us. We need community and a sense of a tribe.
I want to invite you to join us on this journey of Manhood. The journey to unearth our best selves. To live with the governor taken off of our lives. No more being held back. Live life on purpose with purpose.
We specifically tackle the issues of noise and interference in our minds and spirits. We guide you on how to make changes that allow you to break free from stagnation.
I was feed up and beyond frustrated with digging out of a hole only to fall into the next one. Never feeling like I could get ahead. I had to learn how to put my mind at rest. How to quiet my soul and let my spirit receive from God. When I realized this, EVERYTHING changed!
Better relationships with those I love and with myself. My business life exploded, like someone poured jet fuel on the fire. My confidence increased as well as my ability to function at a higher level in my church and community.
If this is what you are looking for then we need to talk. Take action right now and schedule a free call with me. Let's figure out how you can truly live your life. The way God intended.
Free-lance Writer, Communications Consultant, Media Relations Specialist/Media Trainer
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