COWS IN OUR MINDS

Since this is considered “throwback Thursday” I
wanted to revisit some of my previous work as a
writer. I came across this piece which happens to
be one of my favorites. I wrote it in 2008 while
pursuing my doctorate in Christian Counseling.
Although it is considered a “throwback” or “retro”
piece, I believe many of the points are still relevant
today. I have revised and condensed it a bit but I
hope you enjoy it:
Maybe some of you are already questioning this
particular topic, but I want you to be informed
there are some spaces in our mind that are difficult
to explain. Do you agree? God works through many
avenues to reveal specific things about ourselves
and I found a very interesting concept found in one
of my clinical books on the topic of Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorders.
The concept is called “Ruminative Thoughts
Related to Unattainable Goals.” It states, “when an
“undesirable experience” blocks a goal, this goal
will then dominate the person’s thoughts content
until disengagement has taken places; thus,
rumination is considered to be motivationally
driven until individuals either satisfy a blocked or
frustrated goal or disengage themselves from this
goal.”
In other words, to end ruminative thoughts one
must disengage from the thoughts or learn to
substitute them. Additionally, this statement
suggests after an individual experiences something
undesirable their minds will become dominated by
ruminative thoughts. For example, if you have
experienced some type of failure in your life, your
mind becomes motivationally driven to think of
ways to disengage from the failure (unattainable
goal) until you are satisfied.
Personally, when I read this it allowed me to think
about my unattainable goals and how I continued
to ruminate about certain situations when they
were unfulfilled. The word rumination means “to
think carefully and at length about something.” It
is also defined as “to regurgitate partially digested
food and chew it again.” I know it sounds a bit
crass, but did you know that cows digest their food
in this manner?
My Granny use to own a field of cows. I can
remember seeing them after a good graze. As they
consumed their food I wondered why they would
chew for (what it seemed like) days on the same
piece without even taking another chunk of grass! I
was amazed at their process of regurgitation.
In the same manner these cows regurgitated their
food, isn’t it strange that we could also be ‘cows
in our minds?’ Don’t we allow our thoughts to
ruminate over and over again about certain
undesirable situations? And how often are we
consumed with negative thoughts only to
regurgitate them over and over again? Somehow
we become fixated on the various reasons why our
plans failed or why our goals were unattained.
I know some of those ‘cow like’ thoughts I have
experienced were my attempts to think of ways I
could have done things better or how I could have
prevented it from happening. Then all the
statements flood in with the following: “If I…,” “I
should have….,” “Well, I would have…,” and not to
mention “I could have!”
On the other hand, I must remind you, sometimes
our “unattainable goals” are losses beyond our
control. Sometimes there is a shift in the job
market, we may lose loved ones, a friendship may
come to an end, or our dreams may die. Usually
during any loss we make attempts to “substitute” it
with something ‘supposedly’ better, when in
essence we are only attempting to fill a void.
Have you experienced that at some point in your
life? Trust me, I believe we all have experienced
the ‘bad food’ of life. I certainly have! Honestly, I
have experienced some things that were just hard
to digest, and in most cases even hard to swallow!
Additionally, our traumas or pains can cause our
minds to conform to the behaviors of our pains. It
can even cause us to damage others the way we
have been damaged if we are not careful.
Personally, I have fought hard to disengage myself
from negative thoughts and behaviors. I have tried
to disengage myself from them, substitute them,
block them, and frustrate them. Personally, I have
been frustrated! Can you relate?
Thank goodness there is hope! First, since we are
talking about cows let us reflect on the nature of
cows. They are earthly creatures who operate
through their worldly senses (feel, touch, see,
taste, and smell). They were created to graze,
produce milk, eat their food and regurgitate; this is
part of their process. However, we are NOT
animals, and we surely aren’t cows!
To help us overcome this we need a
transformation or mindset change. I’m sure we
understand everything begins in the mind. The
good news is God understands we will experience
this level of thinking, so He has provided us with
solutions for our negative rumination. Romans 12:2
states, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern
of this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and
perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
The fight for a positive, productive mindset
everyday can be an arduous task. We are battling
with our old thought patterns, “undesirable
experiences,” and everyday life’s challenges. Here
are some ways to combat that:
Simply put, spend time with God. Spending time
with God in prayer (communication or talking to
God ) will give you clarity through those tough
experiences. God wants to give us peace when our
minds are going haywire. Just let Him know what
you need. He will be a refuge and help. Yes, trust
Him with your “cow-like mind.” (Read Psalm 46:1)
Meditate. Until we actually ‘renew our minds’ daily
then we can expect to continue to chew on the
negative cuds of life. We must find time to
meditate on what is true. (Read Philippians 4:8,
Psalm 1: 1-3)
Believe that ALL things will work out for your good.
Whether you’ve created your own negative “cow-
like” thought process due to bad decisions or have
experienced things beyond your control, trust and
know there is a reason for it. I believe there is
purpose for everything that happens in our lives. I
know everyone will not think the same as I do, but
this has definitely helped me when I felt like a true
“cow in my mind.” (Read 8:28).
Remember, whatever has happened in your life,
instead of reaching for the grass like cows which
can be considered an earthly desire to fulfill the
voids, I encourage you to find strength to 'graze'
on the power of God. Psalm 62:2 reads, “He ALONE
is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I
will never be shaken” (Ps 62:2). I love this
scripture because when I have sought to
‘substitute’ or fill my voids it has always failed
leading me to disappointment or frustration.
However, if we can learn to trust God ALONE (and
nothing else needed) for inward stability and a
major mind renewal, we are able to do away with
the crass “cuds” of life. This provides us with
space in our minds to embark upon a new way of
thinking and ultimately experiencing a New you!
From a dear friend Bruce a life coach