Often, when we talk of mind renewal and mind shift, we refer to the Bible scripture in Romans 12:2, where Paul urges us to renew our minds continually. It is important to understand that, as humans, our true beliefs affect how we live every day, and this should be so. Now, I am not talking about people who claim to be of a certain religious affiliation but people who live their lives.
All of us are in a constant process of thinking. Who we are and our perspective is a result of years of thinking a certain way and topping that up with what our environment feeds us, and we continue to think in a certain way. You are the result of thinking a certain way thousands of times every day. So, should you find yourself in a state you do not like physically, spiritually, or economically, the first thing you need to do is address your mindset and perspective on your situation. How has your mindset contributed to you attracting your situation?
As a continent, there is no compromise. We have so much to gain from renewing our minds more than any other groups of people in the world.
Benefits Of Renewing Your Mind
Today, we know that a lot of the things done culturally were good for the human race: the food, the medication, the herbs, and tree roots. Scientific research shows that family networks and cultural practices all contribute positively to human health. Be eating, walking barefoot, or reducing the number of meals one takes in a day. These habits mean we have to unlearn what we were taught before scientific progress and relearn the things we dropped that are part of our culture and beneficial to our society.
People who are aware of the power of the mind have influenced mind shifts throughout history. The Romans did this when they conquered the world. The British did this in the colonies. To change things and influence, people have to want to be like you. In Fashion and trends, everything from the continent and its people is admired except for the people themselves. Why do you think this is so? But, it is because our mindset about who we are is not confident. We must change that. As Africans, we have not only been unable to take responsibility for our growth but have deprecated ourselves down to our skin and hair. A mind shift, therefore, is not just nice to have but is crucial for our survival.
Having a mind shift towards people and things around you allows you to learn more, relate better and solve problems effectively.
What Does A Mind Shift Mean For The Continent?
There is a wide range of areas we need to improve in Africa. This means there is no limit to the perceptions and perspectives we can review to find solutions. When we control our mind shift, it results in a positive impact. When we do not control it, it can be manipulated, or it leads to wild growth like a weed. This can destroy that which is good for the person or have adverse effects on the community. A good example is how politicians have manipulated mindsets in the continent.
Instead of societies benefiting from the resources of the continent from colonialism to date, greed has led to uncontrollable corruption. Throughout the continent, resources benefit a small elite group of people, black or white. The same defeated mindset from colonisation means the masses continue to serve the elite even when they are starving. But are we really all that helpless? What lies have we believed that have kept us defeated?
You cannot do new great things by sticking to your old mindset. A mind shift has to happen. En mass, mind shifts result in the winds of change like the Arab Spring, which is not always negative. These mind shifts have mapped the path of transformation for humanity, with improvements in technology and quality of life. It may not manifest in the short run. However, in the long run, most revolutions have led to better societies 10, 20, and even 100s of years later. Gladly, today we don’t have to wait long. Today’s fast-paced advances in every area of life and technology make it easy to innovate and change industries fast.
Controlled, intentional mind shifts should lead African people to do things differently and achieve more economically, politically, and socially. Wealth is not in the land but in the people. That is the first mindset we need to renew. A wealthy mindset leads to manifest wealth in any society. Poverty thinking keeps people impoverished for as long as they have that mindset.
Mindset exudes energy and attracts the same energy. A peaceful mindset will attract calm. If you are peaceful and calm, you won’t be surprised when people come to you for solutions to their troubles. This is because they seek refuge and are ready for change. However, when they are not ready for change, they hang out with people who keep them in the same state. That energy keeps them where they want to be, like attracts like.
Economically, we should see more diversification of industries that contribute the most to the GDP other than primary agriculture. There should be tourism, urban expansion, and younger entrepreneurs. People create jobs, not governments. The government only enables job creation through infrastructure.
Socially, African communities are more diversified. This means the possibilities for rich culture, entertainment, and the use of technology are larger than on any other continent. When we understand this, then we do not need to copy and be like everyone else. We can take advantage of trends yet use the wealth of cultural resources available to us.
