Your mind may have been infected! Yes! Infected! Your mind may have certain mental viruses that leads you to think a certain way about health and fitness and it may not be good. From the moment you were born, your mind may have been exposed to what are known as “memetics” or “memes” for short.
Memes are what are known as idea viruses. Some memes have a short life while others can go on for many hundreds of years. They come from all areas of our life. From schools to commercials. Our subconscious mind will believe certain things as facts for us. It becomes our reality. Years ago Marlboro Cigarettes had an model they used in their advertisements known as the “Marlboro Man.” He was the rugged, handsome cowboy. Many a man wanted to be him, so they smoked….. Marlboro Cigarettes. It was the manly thing to do. So, an idea virus infected teenage boys.
If you were to look at many food commercials, especially fast food, you’ll see smiling faces. This represents happiness with the food. The Happy Meal by McDonald’s is a perfect example. Trix are for kids. Kellogg’s…”They’re GRRRRRRRRRRRREAT!!!” And so many more that it would take pages to cover. You get the idea about idea viruses or memes, right?
Your mom’s homemade cookies fresh out the oven. The smell is anchored into your brain that many cookie companies have used that same anchor to create another meme. Keebler Cookies with their elves have represented their products are freshly baked and so good for you. Again, happy, fun and just like mom.
Think about how your own brain has been affected by these memes. The only way to inoculate yourself against them is to get educated as to what represents true health. Think about the kind of things that are healthy and happy. Be aware of the emotional anchors you may have to certain foods and certain lifestyles. You may have an infected mind and not know it.
Get checked out by professionals if you think you do. Or… You can find out yourself through mindfulness training. Being more mindful helps you understand that memes are all around us. And you will learn to take them as they are and not let them affect and infect you.
Cheers,
Bob C.
America’s #1 Mind-Body Transformation Expert and author of Mind Your Own Fitness
