Food for the Hungry Mind

 

When it comes to nutrition, you can look at the Food Pyramid to see what you should eat daily to maintain good health. However, when it comes to the mind and heart, we seldom think about what we are consuming. The health of your mind and heart depends on the information you put into it. Scouts learn what they should NOT be feeding our minds and heart. We know what is wrong and unhealthy and work at avoiding them. What is it that we should be taking in?

“There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit,

no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect.”

Ronald Reagan

1911-2004

The 40^th U.S. President

 

I want to suggest and diet for your heart and mind in four primary groups. These groups will help you keep healthy and build good mental and spiritual health. They are:

·         Stimulation: Every day, you need to take in things that stimulate your mind. Find something that causes you to think and use your mental muscle. Good, meaningful conversations with other Scouts and Scouters. Good reading material and watching programs that make you think. Be curious about the world around you. Games are also useful to help develop your thinking habits. Benjamin Franklin said, “Games lubricate the body and the mind.”

·         Positive Information:  Be sure you have useful positive input every day. You are reading books and articles about Scouting that are motivating and encouraging. Remember that the more positive you are, the more positive others will be toward you. Tom Stoppard said, “A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.”

·         Godly Input:  Spend time in the Word of God (the Bible) and prayer every day. Find a good devotional to read that helps you develop a healthy walk with the Lord. Evangelist A.W. Pink said, “Daily living by faith on Christ is what makes the difference between the sickly and the healthy Christian, between the defeated and the victorious saint.”

·         Learning:  Henry Ford said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” Learn something new every day. Take classes or start a project. If you are learning, you are alive.

Scouting Out of Uniform is a personal blog based on the lessons learned from Scouting that relate to personal development and success principles and is not an official site of The Boy Scouts of America. John Patrick Hickey does not represent or speak for the Scouting program; however, he does completely support and encourages Scouting for both young and old. John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Personal Development Coach, and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2020 John Patrick Hickey