Our minds are fascinating things, if we really think about it. 

Among the mind's many attributes is the ability to trick itself.  For instance, I look in the bathroom mirror and I see the thin-as-a-rake body of my youth.  My lovely and gracious first wife sees the Michelin Tire Man.  I'll leave it to you to wonder who is more self-deceived.

An old advertising slogan told us that "A mind is a terrible thing to waste".  I thought they said, "A waist is a terrible thing to mind."  I learned of my misunderstanding when my bathroom scales screamed, "Enough already!"  Gee, scales sure knows how to make a Michelin Man cry!

Moving on . . .

It's been wisely written that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" and we can look no further than our minds to see divine evidence of that.

Our minds, like computers, come with a bundle of "software" that is pretty much universal in every human being.  Then there is "software" that makes us the unique individuals we are.  If we keep the software updated by downloading the upgrades recommended by the software vendors, our home computers stay current and run well.  Also, when browsing the internet, our web browsers keep a history of where all we visit.  Little "cookies" embed into our computer and tracks where all we go, remembering things like passwords and how we fill in certain fields on forms and then completes future forms for us.  Pretty slick, huh?  If we're not careful, we can create all sorts of problems with our computers by not being careful of the sites we visit, the e-mail we open, or not having a secure network.

It's the same way with our minds.  Staying with the computer analogy, our mental computers can be smooth, high powered machines if we keep them properly maintained and watch what they connect to. When we were young and impressionable, all sorts of people influenced our thinking and perceptions.  Events, both good and bad, molded and shaped our thinking and view of people, places, events and things. 

If our influences were good, then we grew up to be well adjusted and functioning human beings.  However, if our minds were hacked and corrupted, it will affect how we function until the "virus" is dealt with properly.  Some of these "viruses" are minor and can be easily corrected.  Things like bad manners or grammar.  Other viruses are the 800 pound guerilla in the spaces of our minds like over inflated egos, poor self-esteem, prejudice or fear.

I wish it was as easily as dragging and clicking those kinds of problem away.  Unfortunately, our minds just doesn't work that way.  However, by acknowledging the problem and identifying its root cause, we are well on our way to fixing the matter.

Notice that I said, "fixing the matter."  Our society is pretty good at helping us identify problems but then encourages us to take on a victim mentality instead of taking ownership of their problems and fixing them.  Sure, we can continue to be a victim.  Heck, I think a lot of people actually enjoy playing that role.  But most Americans are made of sterner stuff and want to fix problems - especially their own.

How do we fix the "stinkin' thinkin'" we've learned to think?  It might help to forgive those who have wronged us.  Maybe they're dead.  Maybe you don't know how to reach them.  That's okay.  Forgive them in your heart.

Moving forward, there are other things we can do.  We can begin to watch what we put into our minds.  We need to begin to be careful of the T.V. and movies we watch, the   material we read, and the people we hang with and listen to.  These are all sources of input into our pea-size brains that affect how we think.  We may as well make it good input.

As John Lennon sang in "Mind Games", "We all been playing those mind games forever".  It will take us a while to wrestle the 800 pound "mind guerilla" out of the rooms of our minds.  We may as well start now . . . before we go permanently bananas!