“All battles are first won or lost, in the mind.”
Joan of Ark
Being a mother is a battle. Being a wife is a battle. Some days not eating the entire pack of Oreos is a battle. Anything difficult, or worthwhile, will be a battle. But the battles in our mind must be won first. First we must notice the battle – the choice before us. Should I get snippy at my toddler for dumping water in the kitchen floor, or should I stop and teach? Should I let-go of this minor aggravation that is driving a wedge between me and my husband or continue my tactic of silent resentment?
It was Joan of Arc who spoke of this battle in the mind. A peasant girl of no influence, no pathway to heroism – who nonetheless went on to lead armies and inspire millions. She won her internal battles of self-doubt. She followed the voice that said she could overcome. She didn’t retreat to instinct or an unchangeable nature. There are many who claim we cannot change. We are determined, free will is an illusion. I have a bad temper and always will. I am sensitive so will always be easily-offended. What a hopeless doctrine of misery! And it’s rubbish. We can change, we do change. That willful change happens in our own mind.
“We are what we repeatedly do…excellence, therefore, isn’t an act, but a habit and life isn’t a series of events, but an ongoing process of self-definition.”
Aristotle
We may think we are incapable of a feat rivaling Joan of Arc. Our insignificant “battles of the mind” will have little impact, ultimately. And yet, it was in small battles of the mind that Joan of Arc became capable of the confidence, faith, and determination required to lead armies. If, through our “battles of the mind”, could rule ourselves – overcoming impatience and petulance by repeatedly, through numerous such incidents, teaching our child rather than yelling, communicating with our husband rather than resenting – what could stop us from becoming a Joan of Arc in our own right?
Resources
Documentary on Joan of Arc https://youtu.be/edUgN5srLTs
On the importance of believing we can change. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02HnhurqhY6F6vhjQrJ2P319C382VyTCU2ZeoBXJ25P1Qj6g5TwgvnRMtJZAcTjqCjl&id=100087632402054&mibextid=qC1gEa
The Philosophy of Motherhood 