Feed Your Mind Positively 

Zainab Aderounmu

September 8, 2026

Everything that happens in this world happens twice; first, in your mind and then, outwardly. This holds true for even the littlest task or event; you think of getting up from a chair before you actually perform the act, which makes our mind powerful beyond comprehension. The interesting bit is that whatever you feed your mind is what it produces. And whoever you surround yourself with, will influence your output.  

When I joined the debate society in the university, I struggled so much with debate, despite excelling at storytelling. I assumed that debate had to be angry and energetic, so I asked a friend who debated well, for help. She quietly suggested that debate wasn’t for me. I believed her. For days, I ruminated about the “fact” and almost internalised it as my truth, until I spoke with my mentor, who challenged how I saw debate. She said persuasion doesn’t have to be angry, and “maybe you’re struggling because you’re still fishing your worth in other people’s eyes”.

The power of suggestion holds that words, ideas and cues subtly influence your thoughts without your conscious effort. What and who you expose yourself to, will influence how you think. It’s the reason why positive affirmations work, but it’s also the reason why negative framings work too! 

Once, a mentor used the power of suggestion to get me to outperform my expectations. He simply placed me on a pedestal I didn’t see myself and my goal was to reach that pedestal and not let him down. He said, “Zee, I know you can do it. You’ve always done it, and I did, not because I thought I could but because I believed him. Who are you listening to? What are they telling you, and what are they quietly suggesting to you? When you’ve trained your mind so well, odd thoughts stick out like a thumb; you immediately know, this one doesn’t belong here.

I’ve always been a stickler for reading, not just for the language development benefits, but also because it’s one way to feed your mind. Reading positive and powerful stories has the power to stir your mind to create positive realities. Michelle Obama’s Becoming has been a huge part of my becoming particularly because I consumed it and allowed it marinate. The opposite is true of negative stories. It’s one of the things that made writing news tedious; the tendency to be affected by the stories negatively. 

My best method is catching yourself before you plant seeds of doubt in other people’s minds. When a person shares their good news with you, how do you respond? When your mind cannot comprehend the enormity of what they shared, do you belittle it just because it doesn’t exist in your reality? Begin with verbal abuse, eliminate that completely. That way, when seemingly regular, but negative words sift through your thoughts, you arrest them immediately. 

Finally, the best way to detonate stress and anxiety is through playfulness.  Understanding that our energies feed others’, which then creates a feedback loop, can be a game changer. The energy you exude would usually be what you receive. When you come off as playful, not unserious, you give others the permission to let go of their baggage too. 

About Author

Zainab Aderounmu A. W.

Zainab ADEROUNMU A. W. is a First Class graduate of English Language and the Overall Best Graduating Student from the Lagos State University, Lagos Nigeria. She’s a professional Master of Ceremonies, known as The Hijabi Compere , a public speaking coach and Communications Professional. She is currently a Youth advisor to the European Union where she doubles as the Spokesperson and Head of Communications & PR for the Youth Sounding Board.