WILLPOWER – MIND OVER MATTER

We’re all familiar with the words and when I used the proverb in (Consequences) the novel I’m writing at present I gave the words some extra thought.

Mind over Matter is the use of willpower to overcome physical problems. These days, due to the television we’re all more than aware of all the extraordinary physical obstacles people manage to overcome in their day to day lives.
To me, willpower is one of the keys to life success. Without the willpower to push beyond our theoretical limits many of us would never have achieved our dreams and aspirations.

For me, the determination to persist with my writing even when it seems nothing is going as it should be is mind over matter. The reason being – I have something I feel that is important to say.
The footballer who keeps playing even though at the end of the game it’s found he has a serious injury is mind over matter.
I think many of us have seen the cross-country rider falling at a fence only to remount and continue regardless of injury, mind over matter.

Determination over physical problems – mind over matter. It’s a great proverb. How many of you out there have encountered a situation where mind over matter was the solution.

Can you believe this idea was already expressed by Virgil in the Aeneid (c. 19 b.c.) as Mens agitat molem, ‘Mind moves matter.’ It also appeared in various forms in English by 1700.

“You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be.”
David Viscott

The Urban Dictionary has a great article about Mind over Matter. I’ve included an excerpt below for you to read and links to follow to read the complete article.

URBAN DICTIONARY
by BulligerVerstand – February 25, 2007

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mind+over+matter

MIND OVER MATTER

A proverb that is often used to emphasize the overall needlessness of a single or a couple of specific things, often referring to material goods, money, wealth, even love or the love act, power etc. in one’s life when saying it.

Generally said if the affected person should free himself from materialism or minor important things thus set his mind to care about more crucial things, not seldom his own well-being – therefore mind over matter settles the issue in advance.

This proverb also goes with the generic Buddhist and his lifestyle for he strives for a life without profane belongings or devaluing materialism. Typically, money, power or tangible richness can change one’s character to the bad and in order to prevent the person from becoming alike he should always keep mind over matter in his mind.
However, mind over matter can also be easily said to a person to help him calm down and relax if he is on the verge of taking care of something and additionally is in a hurry.

Mind over matter can also be employed by people who are living in pure abstinence of something (sex, nutrition etc.). The proverb might indeed help them on the way to their aim/project.

Moreover, mind over matter in fact supports rationalism, a philosophical theory that focusses on the idea “in which the criterion of truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive” (Bourke, 263).

Nonetheless, due to the great variety of possible definitions and suitable situations in which it is worth mentioning this proverb, it is seemingly problematic to precisely define the phrase when taking all aspects potential to happen in life into consideration.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mind+over+matter