“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”

This quote, from Paradise Lost by John Milton, gives us a different perspective of the mind–as its own place. We’re forced to think of our mind as a vast, infinite land that’s sort of under construction. And we have the ability to build whatever we want on it. For instance, we can develop it into a beautiful oasis or plant thorns.

But in addition to the mind being its own place that we can develop, this quote also reminds us that it’s within our power and mind to either find or create the good in bad situations. It’s also within our power and mind to appreciate the good that’s already there in good situations. So going back to our illustration, if there are already thorns covering our “mental” place, we can find a way to remove them; and if our “mental” place is already an oasis, we don’t have to go out of our way searching for thorns.

So as you consider your mind as it’s own place, consider what it might actually look like. Does it need tending? Do you have flowers blooming that you’re just not noticing? Are you making heaven of hell or a hell of heaven?

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2021