Fundamentals of your life
Defining mind, body and soul
So what?
Do you know what you are made up of? To be healthy and happy, you need to understand what makes you and how they coexist to build your well-being. Understanding this will allow you to:
- Proactively stay on top of your overall well-being;
- Concentrate your focus and efforts on what makes a difference;
- Moderate yourself when attempting lifestyle changes;
- Indulge yourself with what you are passionate about by permitting yourself to take time out;
- Practice kindness with yourself and others; and
- Be flexible and open to learning and development opportunities for self-improvement.
Whether you are religious, spiritual, agnostic and/or atheistic, you are made of your mind, body and soul. People may argue that you are only of your mind and body but it’s important to note that you have a soul, in a non-religious and non-spiritual way. Let us explain and explore what they are and their differences.
Mind
The mind is your thinking self – it’s your consciousness and the foundation of your decision making, imagination, intelligence and emotions. It also allows you to process data and information. This means that the mind is responsible for processing what you encounter and transforming your thoughts into the physical realm. It sends various signals of action, inaction and reactions to your body parts. Your mind commands all and decides how they should be dictated.
Body
Your physical being is your body. According to Wikipedia, your body can be analysed in following ways:
- Chemicals: Water, DNA, protein, fats, hydroxyapatite and carbohydrates.
- Tissues: Water, fat, muscle, bone, hormone, connective tissue and various fluids.
- Elements: 60 different elements found on the periodic table.
Soul
Your soul distinguishes right from wrong. Desires and morality are dictated by your soul. Whether you are spiritual or secular, you have a set of morals and values that defines rights and wrongs. A secular person may argue that these characteristics are part of your mind but it is important to distinguish between mind and soul as your desires and morality play an important role in shaping your thinking and consciousness (i.e. your mind).
My experience
Despite being born and raised as a Christian, I firmly believed that we are comprised of mind and body. Mind being the soul, spirit. Once I embarked on the journey of self-improvement and practicing mindfulness, I realised that we are more than our mind and body. Soul, in the sense that has been explained above, is an integral part to our being. Separating the mind and soul allowed me to focus on my well-being in a more concise manner and improve specific areas of my life that needed attention.
What now?
Think about the intricate ways that your mind, body and soul work individually and together to make you who you are.