Binalatongan Community College
Brgy. Ilang San Carlos City, Pangasinan
Name: John Rey E. Perez
Year & Section: BSIT 1-C
Subject: Purposive Communication
Assessment
Lesson 8 - Activity 8
Read the blog entitled ―Mind Matters Most‖ by Tara Pinheiro Gibsone and write a
Reaction Paper.
Mind Matters Most
July 23, 2020 By Tara Pinheiro Gibsone
Source: https://www.findhorn.org/blog/mind-matters-most/
Among the many challenges arising from the
coronavirus is the impact of isolation on our
mental well-being. Confinement, diminished
social contact and worries about the world
present internal stressors for many of us as
we are forced to spend more time with
ourselves, exposed to the tumultuous nature
of our complicated minds.
For others, this period may also present itself as a blessing in disguise. Much of the
outside stimulation that normally captivates us is taken away. With isolation comes a
slowed-down pace of life, a simpler existence freed from the constant push and pull of
our social commitments, desires, plans and obligations.
Whether our experience of social distancing has positive or negative undertones, or
perhaps a combination of the two, there is an opportunity to get to know our thoughts
and become more aware of what‘s happening inside our minds. We can use this time to
our advantage, to begin understanding the various ways we are limited or debilitated by
unhealthy mental habits.
Buddhism and certain schools of psychology have a lot to offer in the quest toward a
healthier state of mind. They demonstrate that by gaining a better understanding of our
thoughts and how they affect our emotions, we can start recognizing unhealthy patterns
that stall us in states of low self-esteem, anger, jealousy, worry, doubt, fear and anxiety.
Page 1 of 5
Answered by: John Rey Perez
By understanding the nature of our mind and how it generates negativity in our lives, we
can move toward dwelling in a more peaceful state of loving acceptance.
We may not realize the extent to which
our thoughts affect our feelings and
influence our sense of wellbeing.
Spending too much of our time in
negative states of mind—spanning
everyday worry, fixation, self-focus,
ambivalence, agitation and restless
desire—we are chased throughout the
day by our busy thoughts. We become
captive to the voice in our head that constantly judges, speculates, complains,
compares, dislikes and condemns. Most of our thinking is repetitive and often useless.
Whether reliving the past or rehearsing possible futures, we are caught up in the
ceaseless meanderings of our unruly minds. Our addiction to ‗thinking‘ gives us a false
sense of pleasure.
The medical field has only touched the surface in documenting the benefits of
meditation that traditions of the East have promoted for centuries. For instance, in the
book Altered Traits, Goleman and Davidson explore cutting-edge research on
meditation, examining how it has the capacity to transform our mind, body and brain,
leading to lasting positive change at the higher levels of practice. They discover that our
brain stays just as busy when we‘re relaxed as when we‘re under some form of mental
strain. In other words, our minds‘ ‗default mode‘ switches on, even when we‘re not doing
anything particular that requires effort or focus. This default mode continually rescripts a
storyline in which we each take centre stage, replaying particularly upsetting or favourite
parts over and over. When researchers at Harvard University asked thousands of
people to report on their mood and mental focus at several random points throughout
the day, they concluded that ―a wandering mind is an unhappy mind‖.
It is through these ruminations that we construct our sense of self from the mosaic of
our experiences, memories, plans, hopes and dreams. We become the centre of the
universe as we know it, fully believing and accepting our subjective, self-created
narrative. By applying the right kind of awareness or mindfulness, we can deconstruct
the story that we are continuously creating. It starts with a conscious shift in our
perception—the way we view ourselves and the world around us. Teachings from
Buddhism can aid in unpacking the flaws in our thinking that lead to a skewed
understanding of our reality.
Page 2 of 5
Answered by: John Rey Perez
Begin by simply becoming more aware of your
thoughts. Observe how the continuous chatter
impacts your emotions – a constant stream, a
bewilderingly rapid parade, unpredictably
changing and tirelessly repeating the same
stories. By stepping back and observing the
volatility of your thoughts, you don‘t need to take
them all that seriously. The intention is to reduce
the power given to thoughts, delegitimizing their
control and pervasive presence by witnessing
them as an objective observer.
Meditation plays a fundamental role in this process. It isn‘t the only way, but it is a
valuable tool to begin understanding, investigating and transforming mental formations.
A general mindfulness practice begins with noticing our thoughts impartially, without
judging or condemning whatever arises. In practice, it typically requires focusing on an
object of meditation. This may vary from maintaining attention on the breath, observing
the sensations in the body or mentally repeating a mantra. Thoughts themselves can
even be objects of concentration (bearing witness to the stream without getting swept
away by the current). Whichever object you choose, the intention is the same: to
repeatedly bring your mind back to the present. It doesn‘t matter so much what you
focus your attention on, rather that you recognize when a loss of focus occurs. There is
a difference between thinking and awareness of thinking!
A common misconception is that the mind must be completely quiet, that if you don‘t
switch off the thoughts you are not meditating. This isn‘t the case. You can‘t force your
mind to be still. With sustained attention the chatter will become quieter, receding into
the background. Many factors influence our mental state and some days this will be
more difficult than others. The task is in learning how to observe without judgment or
emotional reaction, no matter how still or busy your mind may be.
Start by sitting comfortably, closing your eyes and observing how it feels to simply be.
It‘s important to remember to be kind, compassionate and gentle. If the mind wanders,
smilingly bring it back, understanding that it is the nature of the mind to wander.
Acceptance is key – acceptance of whatever may arise. Just observe and remain
aware. Simply witness reality as it is, not as you would like it to be. If the mind is busy,
the mind is busy. If the mind is still, the mind is still. By dedicating the time to explore
your mind, you will begin to see that much of life‘s suffering is unnecessary, self-created
and avoidable. Understanding how your thoughts create reality is one of the most
Page 3 of 5
Answered by: John Rey Perez
valuable insights you can attain. Through the wholesome acceptance of the mind, it is
possible to transform reality and cultivate a more positive way of existing in this world.
Critiquing
Write a Reaction Paper about the blog using the following Guide Questions:
What do you think of the visual features of the blog, specifically the images?
What is the topic of the blog?
What message is the blog communicating to the readers?
Reaction Paper must have an introduction, body, and conclusion.
(Minimum of Five Paragraphs)
REFLECTION PAPER ON MIND MATTERS MOST
Mental health matters, now more than ever! Mind Matters Most is an amazing
blog as it share the author‘s insights on how mindfulness and meditation can help us to
overcome negative states of mind. Tara Pinheiro Gibsone is committed to creating
positive change through sharing what she has gained from her ongoing journey of inner
enquiry.
As I observed, the visual features of the blog is worth a thousand words because
the author made sure that the image she put on her blog is relevant to the situation she
was referring to. In addition, Gibsone used images in a blog post to reinforce the idea
she was trying to convey to her readers. Adding a featured image at the very beginning
of the blog is a guaranteed way of directing the attention of the busy reader to the
introductory paragraphs they overlook most of the time.
The blog is all about how coronavirus crisis affect us in many different ways such
as physically, emotionally, economically, socially, and psychologically. This pandemic
grips us with a sense of dread; driving unhealthy thought patterns and associations
which lead us in a distorted mental health. The blog of Gibsone educate us that taking
care of our mental health is vitally important.
The message of the blog also is to tell us that many factors can influence our
mental state to be healthy and peaceful once again. First, is learning how to observe
without judgment or emotional reaction, no matter how still or busy our mind may be.
Start by sitting comfortably, closing our eyes and observing how it feels to simply be.
According to the author, ―It‘s important to remember to be kind, compassionate and
gentle. If the mind wanders, smilingly bring it back, understanding that it is the nature of
the mind to wander.‖ Next, is through the wholesome acceptance of the mind which
transforms reality and cultivate a more positive way of existing in this world.
Page 4 of 5
Answered by: John Rey Perez
Defeating the negative things that clouded our brain is not an easy task but we
should always remember that we are all amazing person and we are definitely the
centre of the universe as we know it, fully believing and accepting our subjective, self-
created narrative. By applying the right kind of awareness or mindfulness, we can
deconstruct the story that we are continuously creating. It starts with a conscious shift in
our perception—the way we view ourselves and the world around us. And to always
remember in our heart that there is hope, even when our brain tells us there isn‘t.
IX: References:
Purposive Communication Using English English in Multilingual Concepts
Published in 2018 by C&E Publishing,Inc.
Marilu Ranosa Madrunio and Isabel Pefianco Martin
A Course Module for PurposiveCommunication Published by Rex Bookstore
By: Jonna Marie A Lim, Ph. Irene Blanco-Homada Ph.D Elen Joy Alata MaEd
English for Purposive Communication (A Modular Approach By: Jaime Gutierrez,
Ang,Dem)
Page 5 of 5
Answered by: John Rey Perez
