Nurture Your Mind With Great

¶ … Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think" (Benjamin Disraeli).

This printed quotation is pinned to the front of an address rolodex, so it may be seen at all times on the desk. In researching this quote, however, another variation of it was found: "Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes" (Moncur 2987). The reference to heroes quite changes the meaning of the saying into a respect for heroic actions, whereas the original quote, which has been gazed upon for so long, intimates respect for education.

The reason for the preference for the first quote, of course, is that when one is in the process of educating one's mind, one wants to think that what one reads and studies is lifting one up to a higher plane and that some day one will accomplish great things in education, in writing, in dwelling on philosophical, theoretical and spiritual thoughts. Finding the second quotation did change the way the first quotation was seen.

First of all, when one wants to "nurture" something, one wants to educate, train and feed it. It is like nursing a baby. Whatever one gives a baby for food either helps the baby to grow, or is insufficient, so it suffers physically and has medical problems. Since it is the mind that is being nurtured here, the thoughts that go into it must be sufficiently great in order for the mind to flourish and grow. Minor thoughts or insufficient education stunts the mind's growth so that for the rest of one's life, one is demonstrably insufficient when facing mental challenges. Language, vocabulary and grammar are the first signs of either a good educational beginning or an insufficient one. When one hears bad grammar and few choices of words in someone's vocabulary, one immediately assumes that the person using them has not been well-educated.

Secondly, while life has brought with it change and opportunities, moving from Georgia to Florida, having the opportunity to serve in the Anchor Club, a community service group, working on the school newspaper and yearbook, becoming a cheerleader, a weightlifter, dancing and belonging to several clubs and organizations (Key Club, 4-H Club, Leadership Club, Prom Committee), gave ample occasion for diverse experiences in education. Not only the body, but the mind was challenged during these activities. Current activity working on the newspaper and yearbook and the opportunity to take further courses in TV production and other unique subjects will further enhance chances to enlarge and test the mind, so it may grow.