Special Feature
For instance, you arrive at the scene of an accident and a victim is irate and angrily lashing out at the EMS person‐ nel attempting to help him. The Responders can take the victim’s behavior personally, in which case their demeanor and response will be one of a defensive posture and potentially dis‐ courteous. However, the Responders could realize the victim may be feeling helpless and scared, which is surfacing as extreme annoyance, and respond with patience and understanding. It is a choice of perception.
It should be stated that the mind, though it can be our greatest ally, can also be our greatest foe if allowed to misconstrue, misinterpret and dispro‐ portionate a situation. The mind has the ability to cycle through an infinite stream of possible outcomes and time‐ lines for any given circumstance. However extraordinary this ability is, the process can often lead to a spiral‐ ing of misjudgment, miscommunica‐ tion and disaster on the plains of inter‐ action and trust. Consider the barrage of thoughts and scenarios that are con‐
38 EMS PRO Magazine
jured up mentally while on route to a call that has been categorized as an MCI or has limited information to accu‐ rately assess the needed levels of response. A whirlwind of mental assumptions from the mundane to the extreme cast the mind into an array of panic and confusion where doubt and the inability to properly perform one’s duty could arise. This could lead to either an overload causing a height‐ ened perception of reality or a com‐ plete mental shutdown. The impor‐ tance of being in balance ‐being in har‐ mony ‐will only serve to maintain men‐ tal integrity and a mindful disposition. The power of the mind has been doc‐ umented time and time again in various studies. From the achievements of the placebo effect to the accomplishments of those in dire straits; the mind can make what seems impossible possible. To succeed in all we do, all we need to do is believe.
A healthy mind is one that is positive, yet practical, and possesses the fore‐ sight to see the possibilities and won‐ der of any situation ‐always seeing the
silver lining. The positive effects ripple to that which surrounds us ‐it spreads and is absorbed by those we come in contact with. Arriving at an emergency scene riddled in chaos where everyone around you is at wits end, however omi‐ nous things may seem, you remain calm and allow your training to be your guide. This, in turn, is projected out‐ ward and begins to facilitate others to follow your example. The severity of the moment is lessened by the pres‐ ence of capable and qualified profes‐ sionals. The effects of mind’s power are only rivaled by the power it possesses. Defining what we believe the mind to be and the potential untapped pow‐ ers it possesses is one thing. To learn to harness and use that power is another. In a society that boasts independence and preaches to think for yourself, the notion to go against the grain remains quite suppressed. The act of question‐ ing the status quo is still considered unmannerly and sometimes met with obstacles, ignorance, and offense. Outlandish thinking results in out‐ landish outcomes. Yet, outlandish thinking has allowed humankind to cat‐ apult its way to the future. Without it and resting on the laurels of the status quo would have left our race as a sim‐ ple hunter‐gatherer one. We would still be in the dark and technological com‐ munication and other progressions would be a figment lost on the mental‐ ly unmotivated and intellectually incompetent. Fortunately, we have realized the mind to be an indispensible asset and the ultimate power found in inspiration and aspiration.
Simply put, to harness the power of the mind we must use it. To think is to be, therefore, we are. How we think not only determines how and what we do now but how and what we will do tomorrow. The mind, like any muscle, needs to be challenged for growth, for refinement and for betterment; other‐ wise, it ceases to properly function and fulfill. A dream dies and tomorrow is halted ‐a life loses out and a world suf‐ fers. Finding opportunities to flex our minds is a chance to make a difference, a chance to better our lives and a chance to change the world. Allowing our minds to be used and challenged ‐to process, dissect, config‐
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