Whatever You Do, Don’t Waste It

I remember how years ago my ears would perk up when hearing the UNCF commercial. Its maxim recited in commanding resonance by the narrator: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” https://uncf.org/             

Even at a young age, that statement made sense to me. It felt to me like those who didn’t nurture their minds were at a disadvantage in society. Those commercials instilled in me a desire to learn. They really impressed the need to not waste my mind but use it to advantage. I thank them for that, because it taught me almost anything is possible if we put our mind to it.

The limits we place upon ourselves can easily constrain the potential in our life. Consider this: each day is an opportunity to fortify your own mind with knowledge. Whatever your station in life, you can literally use each day to learn something new. In doing so, you’ll soon find that life itself is about learning and growing as individuals and as society.

Through our experiences, we gain knowledge. And knowledge, if properly reflected on, transforms into wisdom.

There are abundant resources of knowledge available to us. Whether it be in the private or public schools or the local libraries, our favorite teacher or that intriguing next-door neighbor. And that’s just the short list. I haven’t even mentioned the technology-based tools at our disposal in today’s world.

But if you’re reading this, you already know that.

Knowledge is literally everywhere if we want it. We just need to be curious enough to pursue it.

More recently I learned of this quote from the writer and poet Archibald MacLeish - “The only thing about a man that is a man… is his mind. Everything else you can find in a pig or a horse.”

When you think about it, it’s as true a statement as they come. It got me to thinking again about the power of knowledge and I realized something. We often believe our knowledge resources must be external. That we need to go to someone or somewhere for whatever information we need. That will be true at some point. But it doesn’t need to be our starting point.

Think about that quote again. “The only thing about a man that is a man … is his mind.” The noted motivational speaker Earl Nightingale referred to the mind as “the gold mine”. We come equipped in life with a potential treasure trove of ideas right between our ears. And the beauty of our mind is that no matter where we are in life, it’s at our disposal. We simply need to use it. 

To open the treasure chest, we need to use our minds to think. To add value, we need to reflect. Like a muscle being torn and stretched, the more we use our mind, the stronger it becomes. In doing this, we can fill our treasure chest with as many valuable things as we want. It’s up to us.

It’s nothing new. Humankind has always fancied the thinkers of this world. However, don’t let that fool you. The fact is - all of us are the thinkers of this world.

Image courtesy of uncf.org

We need to take time to be still and think about our lives, where we’ve been, where we want to be, and how we’re going to get there. It falls upon us to use our mind productively. Our society increasingly depends on others to do their thinking. We want everything now. We want it fast. People want immediate solutions to the problems they face, but they want others to think about the solutions for them.

We won’t always find the solution to a problem right away. And we may not solve a problem simply on our own. But I’m willing to bet if we took our time, if we thought through things a bit more before we acted, we would encounter fewer problems in our lives. That applies to all aspects of life. Horses and pigs don’t need to think through issues. They have an instinct to guide them, which serves them well.

We have instinct too. But we also have the added ability to imagine, create, solve, collaborate, and build. And when we do, we accomplish great things. Everything that we use in our lives came to us because someone took the time to think about it. The laptop we’re using or the software application we’re running on it. Someone had a thought and put that thought into action.

Whether we change the world, help our families, or simply make ourselves a better person, it all starts within us - in our minds. That’s powerful knowledge. Yet, as simple as it sounds, most of us don’t use our mind to its fullest potential. Here’s something to ponder: When was the last time you sat down alone with your thoughts to figure out a suitable solution to a problem? Or write about a goal you want to achieve and the steps you’ll take to get there?

If you have, you’re ahead of the game. Most just go with the flow and take life as it comes. We’re busy. At work, at home, even at play, sometimes it’s all hustle and bustle.

But imagine the fundamental change if we thought about our actions just a little more each day? If we took the time to open that treasure chest between our ears to add more and more value to our trove? 

Our mind. It’s what makes us what we are. It’s our very own gold mine. Unique to each one of us. Fill it with useful knowledge. Use it to think, to learn, to expand, and to grow. 

The UNCF maxim is still as relevant today as ever because a mind IS a terrible thing to waste. Whatever you do, don’t waste it.