What's Playing in the Background of Your Mind?
This weekend I went to an event where there were country hits from years past playing in the background. Despite growing up in Texas, I don’t consider myself a country music person, believe it or not. So imagine how surprised I was when I knew nearly every word and sang along most of the night! Not only that, I found an awesome Classic Country playlist on Spotify to listen to afterwards!
See, these songs have been playing in the background not only of that event, but of my entire life, or a good part of it anyway. And without paying much attention, they’d become part of my subconscious, quickly transporting me back to places and memories I hadn’t thought of in a long while. It was a sentimental trip down memory lane, bringing both happy and bittersweet moments to mind.
It also made me wonder, what else am I not aware of that is part of my subconscious?
If I’m honest, this is not the first time I’ve realized that something had seeped into my mind while I was unaware. I’ve had opinions and beliefs that have crept up to my surprise more times than I can count. Some people would call them biases, I guess, but it goes beyond that. It can take the form of what I believe can and cannot do, what is good and what is not, or even simply that I don’t like to eat something I’ve never even tried. Turns out, the back of my mind is a crowded place – with an awesome soundtrack! (that includes classic pop, jazz standards, Broadway tunes, and my firm belief that a good song is a good song no matter the genre)
So while I’m keeping all the music in my mental archives, I can’t help but wonder if there are some unwelcome guests hanging out in my subconscious that I should evict. But here’s the kicker - I won’t know they’re there until something comes along to jog them out of the background and into the forefront. The question is, when that happens, will I let them stay?
I find it funny that my ability to sing along with Rhinestone Cowboy has reminded me of an important truth - we have to be mindful of what we feed into our minds. We must watch our inputs. Being aware of this is more urgent than we think. It’s not only a matter of, “Garbage in, garbage out,” though that is important. The truth is when we let garbage in, it often finds a way to stay - to stick around. You can’t unsee, unhear, untaste, or unsmell something - you get the picture. So, as much as possible, it’s important to only admit good inputs. Kind of like eating your veggies, but for your soul.
And as for what to do when you become aware of something lurking in the back of your mind? I think that depends on the case. Clearly if it’s song lyrics, you should sing along. Loudly. When it’s something less fun, then you need to question it - where did this thought or opinion come from? Why am I reacting in this way, when I don’t see a clear reason for it? When you have moments like that - it’s a good time to take some time to reflect on what’s really going on. Prayer for guidance is always good at times like this.
And then you hold onto what is true and reject what is not. Sounds easy, right? Sometimes it is, and sometimes it is not.
Above all, especially when we are surprised by our thoughts, opinions or feelings, we need to be gentle with ourselves. As a wise friend often says, “We are becoming.”
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this – have you ever had a similar experience with a "subconscious soundtrack" in your life? What "inputs" are you being mindful of these days? Share your insights in the comments below!