The war within

We all have wars going on inside us all the time, the war within. There’s an analogy that goes, “There’s a war going on inside me. It’s a terrible fight between two wolves, one is evil and the other is good. Which wolf will win?” The answer is, the one you feed.

We live in a time where we are consuming information all the time. We have information at our fingertips and it’s all around us at every moment. The truth is also that negative media is the media that sells. There is a constant war for our souls, and it begins with the information that we consume with our minds.

From a neurological perspective we have pathways in our brain that connect the different areas of our brain together, and these are called neurons. They are essentially the roads in our brain that messages get sent along. In neuropsychology we say, neurons that fire together wire together. This means that the more we use certain pathways in our brain the stronger they become, and therefore the easier to send information across those pathways. The neuronal pathways that are not used begin to weaken and eventually die. This also can be used to explain the making and breaking of habits. This shows us the power of our brain and how certain thoughts and ways of thinking and behaving actually change our brain structures over time.

It is so important to become mindful and aware of the content we are feeding our brains and souls. We will always have both of those wolves within us, the evil wolf will always be there. We are not perfect; we do make mistakes and we do sin. But which wolf are we actively feeding? What content do we consume? What content do we watch? What music do we listen to? What news do we read? What information do we internalise and hold onto? What is it that is shaping our lives?

I am by no means saying that you can’t watch violent movies or listen to meaningless songs. What I am saying is to realise that what we listen to, watch and read, and the messages that they convey become internalised and begin to shape the way we think and behave.

I know I have spoken about them before, but there is a reason I often quote Switchfoot (my favourite band). Their music is filled with themes that I want to internalise and make a part of my thinking and behaviour. Song lyrics like “Hope is the anthem of my soul” and “Hallelujah nevertheless was a song that pain couldn’t destroy”. I choose to consume lyrics that give me meaning and help me make sense of the world I live in and how to react to it.

I believe our perspective, the lens we view the world through, our positivity, actions, thoughts and behaviours are all as a result of what we are feeding ourselves. What perspective would you like to have? How would you like to view the world? Would you like a more positive outlook? Do you want to change your automatic thoughts and behaviour? It starts with what information you consume and internalise.

Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We need to renew our minds daily, which is important from psychological, neurological and spiritual aspects. We need to be conscious of building good habits and breaking down unhealthy ones. Being mindful of shaping our thought patterns and behaviour, which is not easy and takes time but is certainly possible, is so important.

Take time to think about the pathways in your brain that you are choosing, consciously or unconsciously, to strengthen. Take an active role in choosing which wolf you are wanting to feed. Start winning the war within.

Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”