First Aid Kit for the Brain

A bee sting, a cut, a sliver in a child’s finger from a toy box that wasn’t sanded enough (oops!). For these mishaps and more, a well-stocked First Aid Kit can be helpful in case of an emergency. First Aid Kits are designed for specific activities, like hiking, camping or boating. But you can create one for a specific need and yes, you guessed it—a First Aid Kit for the Brain. Let’s put together a kit to match the needs of our brain—one that has everything necessary to keep a positive focus on our goals and aspirations.

1) First Aid Instruction Booklet: A First Aid Manual for the Brain can guide us to see the best in ourselves. How we “label” ourselves is critical to the overall welfare of our brain. Names can build or destroy the foundation of our mindset. For example, we stump our toe and shout, “Klutz.” We can’t seem to stay in a relationship and we angrily say, “Unlovable.” These labels train us to give up and when we do, we whisper, “Loser.” And sadly, we’ll eventually learn to live up to these names. Think on things that are true; things worthy of respect; meditate on whatever brings you awe—use these labels to encourage, to strengthen, to anchor you.

Montaigne: The pleasantest things in the world are pleasant thoughts; and the great art of life is to have as many of them as possible.

2) Antiseptic Wipes: Clean out stinkin’ thinkin’ that lend to a bad attitude. Negativity pollutes our brain. You may say, “Negative thoughts come easier than positive ones.” That’s true, but we can’t afford the luxury of a negative thought. When a demeaning thought creeps up, STOP! Trash the stuff that contaminates your mind and make positive thinking a habit. After all, you’re special enough to deserve exceptional thoughts of who you are. So, have a searching conversation with your soul—the birthplace of positive thoughts.

John Lubbock: What we see depends mainly on what we look for.

3) Tweezers: A useful tool to pull out debris embedded in our skin. Remove the thorn of strife or whatever irritates your sense of well-being. Inner Growth happens when we get rid of the stuff that tends to bog us down. Inner Growth is a process. It can’t be hurried. Self-awareness emerges at the moment of reflection, when we recognize what we have come out of, and where we can aspire to.

Kahlil Gibran: Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.

4) Bandages: The Red Cross recommends 25 bandages for a family of four. Why so many? Perhaps to make frequent changes to keep the wound “fresh” for healing. The need to change a bandage often applies to the need to challenge our brain that suffer from boredom: doing the same thing, hearing the same music, driving the same roads. Stimulate your brain! Meet new people. Read books in a different genre. Eat something new.

Voltaire: If we do not find anything very pleasant, at least we shall find something new.