The War in Our Minds: How Thoughts Shape Peace, Anxiety, and Identity

How Thoughts Shape Peace, Anxiety, and Identity

The war in our minds shapes behaviour, emotion, and identity. A Maverick exploration of mental discipline through Scripture and psychology.

This photo was taken while on Mission to Zimbabwe in 2013

The War in Our Minds

Why the real battlefield is invisible

I’m speaking to myself as much as I’m speaking to you.

Every human being is fighting a war in their mind. Some are skirmishes. Others are full-scale sieges. But whether we acknowledge it or not, our thoughts shape our emotions, our decisions, and ultimately our direction in life.

Modern psychology confirms what ancient Scripture has long declared: the mind is the control centre of human behaviour. Thoughts precede feelings. Feelings influence actions. Actions, repeated, become identity.

If you want to change your life, you don’t start with behaviour.
You start with attention.

Mental Pressure Is Not Weakness

Anxiety, intrusive thoughts, rumination, and emotional overwhelm are often framed as personal failures. Psychology reframes them as signals of cognitive overload—the mind attempting to process threat, uncertainty, or loss of control.

Scripture speaks to this long before the language of neuroscience existed.

Philippians 4 outlines a sequence for mental stability:

intentional focus
regulated emotion
disciplined thinking
inner peace as an outcome, not a command

Peace is not passive. It is trained.

Attention Determines Direction

(Philippians 4:4–8)

Cognitive science tells us that the brain strengthens whatever we repeatedly focus on. This is called neuroplasticity—the mind rewires itself based on repeated thought patterns.

Paul calls this out plainly:
what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy is not just morally good—it is mentally stabilising.

Thoughts are not neutral.
They either build resilience or erode it.

The mind cannot be left unattended. An untrained mind will default to fear, negativity, and imagined threat—what psychologists call catastrophising.

Scripture calls it something simpler: lack of renewal.

Guarding the Mind

(Ephesians 6:17)

Psychology speaks of cognitive filters—the unconscious frameworks through which we interpret reality. Scripture calls this protection.

The “helmet” imagery is not poetic fluff. It is strategic. What enters the mind determines what reaches the heart.

Information passes through the mind before it shapes identity.
If the filter is broken, everything downstream is distorted.

This is why repeated exposure matters:

media
conversations
internal self-talk
beliefs left unchallenged

You cannot think your way into peace if you keep feeding your mind chaos.

Meditation: Then and Now

Modern psychology encourages mindfulness—slowing thought, observing patterns, and intentionally redirecting focus.

Scripture calls this meditation.

Not emptying the mind, but filling it deliberately.

When the mind is aligned with truth, destructive thoughts lose authority. Not because they disappear—but because they are no longer believed.

Transformation Is Cognitive

(Romans 12:2)

Behavioural change without mental renewal is temporary. Psychology confirms this: willpower fades, but belief systems endure.

Scripture is blunt:
transformation happens through the renewing of the mind.

Not through pressure.
Not through conformity.
But through intentional rewiring.

A renewed mind produces discernment—clarity about what is good, acceptable, and purposeful.

That is Maverick ground.

Final Thought

The war in your life is not primarily external.
It is fought in moments of thought you never speak aloud.

Win there—and everything else begins to realign.

Shalom!

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What Is Wisdom? A Practical Definition for Life, Growth, and Maturity

What Is Wisdom?

Wisdom is defined as the capacity to judge rightly and act well, formed through experience, learning, and deliberate choice.

Choose Wisdom

No one is born wise.
Wisdom is not inherited, downloaded, or guaranteed by age.

Wisdom is chosen.

We often confuse age with wisdom, but they are not the same thing. You can grow older without growing deeper. You can collect years and still repeat the same mistakes—just with better excuses. Wisdom does not arrive automatically with time; it arrives with intentional choices made over time.

Maturity is not measured by how many birthdays you’ve had, but by how often you pause, reflect, and choose differently.

Maturity comes through choice.
Wisdom is what happens when you choose well—consistently.

Growing Older vs Growing Wiser

Life will teach you whether you ask it to or not. Pain is a universal instructor. But wisdom is optional. Some people only learn what hurts; others learn what heals.

The difference is curiosity.

Wise people don’t rush past experiences—they extract meaning from them. They ask better questions:

What is this trying to teach me?
What pattern keeps repeating?
Who am I becoming through this choice?

Wisdom is not about knowing everything. It’s about knowing what matters.

Choose Wisdom Daily

Wisdom is not a one-time decision. It’s a daily posture.

It’s choosing discipline over impulse.
Truth over comfort.
Growth over ego.

As you grow in age, choose to grow in wisdom. Choose to listen more than you speak. Choose to observe before you react. Choose to learn even when it bruises your pride.

Wisdom rarely shouts. It whispers—and waits for those who are still enough to hear it.

Never Stop Learning

Learning keeps you humble. The moment you think you know enough, you stop growing. Wise people remain teachable—not just in classrooms, but in conversations, conflict, and correction.

Read widely. Listen carefully. Learn from people who disagree with you. Wisdom expands when certainty softens.

Learning is not preparation for life.
Learning is life.

Never Stop Dreaming

Dreaming keeps you alive.

Cynicism ages the soul faster than time ever could. Wise people protect their ability to imagine better futures—even when reality is heavy. They don’t confuse realism with resignation.

Dreams are not childish. Giving up on them is.

Wisdom knows that vision gives direction, and direction gives endurance.

Never Stop Thinking

Thinking is an act of resistance in a world that profits from distraction.

Wisdom requires reflection. It asks you to slow down, examine assumptions, challenge narratives, and refuse mental laziness. Not everything that is loud is true. Not everything repeated is right.

Think deeply. Think critically. Think independently.

A Maverick mind is not rebellious for rebellion’s sake—but courageous enough to seek truth even when it’s inconvenient.

Never Stop Hoping

Hope is not naïve optimism. It is disciplined courage.

Hope says: This is not the end.
Hope says: Meaning can be found here.
Hope says: I will not let disappointment define me.

Wise people hope—not because life is easy, but because despair is too costly. Hope anchors the soul when circumstances drift.

Without hope, wisdom turns cold. With hope, wisdom becomes life-giving.

Never Stop…

The list is unfinished—on purpose.

Because wisdom is not a closed system. It invites participation.

Never stop questioning.
Never stop becoming.
Never stop returning to what is true.
Never stop choosing growth over comfort.

And now—add your word.

What will you refuse to stop?

Because wisdom is not something you have.
It is something you choose—again and again.

Choose wisely.

Shalom!

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Why Anxiety, Depression, Burnout, and Trauma Are Signals — Not Failures

Why anxiety, depression, burnout, and trauma are signals—not failures

Anxiety, depression, burnout, and trauma affect millions worldwide. But what if these mental health struggles are not disorders to fix—rather signals of imbalance? This article reframes mental health through the lens of homeostasis, showing how peace, emotional regulation, and alignment restore balance to the soul.

Today, let us reframe health through the lens of homeostasis, revealing how peace, emotional regulation, and spiritual alignment restore balance to the soul. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, we explore why lasting healing begins with inner regulation—and why peace is far more than a feeling.

Peace vs Homeostasis: Why True Peace Is More Than a Feeling

What if biblical peace and biological balance are pointing to the same truth?

This article explores the connection between peace, homeostasis, and the Hebrew concept of Shalom, revealing that true peace is not emotional calm or circumstantial relief, but a state of spiritual, mental, and relational balance essential for human flourishing.

A Personal Quest for Peace

At the end of 2020 and into 2021, I embarked on a 40-day personal quest to find peace—not the kind that fades when circumstances change, but the kind that endures.

About 20 days into that journey, I encountered a realisation that reshaped my understanding entirely. What began as a spiritual pursuit unexpectedly collided with a concept I had been pondering for years: homeostasis.

So grab a cup of coffee, put on your thinking hat, and let’s unpack this together.

What Is Homeostasis?

Homeostasis is a term used in biology and ecology to describe a system—whether an organism, organ, or ecosystem—that exists in a state of optimal balance. It is the healthiest state a living system can achieve.

Nature has intricate mechanisms to maintain this balance. When disruption occurs, the system enters distress and responds to restore equilibrium. Depending on the severity of the imbalance, the response can be mild—or extreme.

If necessary, nature will even destroy the source of the disturbance.

Nature also operates on timescales far longer than the average human lifespan. This is a sobering reminder of the law of cause and effect: every action triggers a reaction.

The Biblical Meaning of Peace (Shalom)

Interestingly, the Bible contains a word that carries almost the exact same meaning as homeostasis.

That word is Shalom.

Often translated simply as peace, Shalom refers to wholeness, completeness, harmony, and perfect balance. Its roots stretch back to Genesis—to the moment God created both the spiritual and natural realms.

When a biological principle and a spiritual principle align so precisely, it signals something profound:
an enduring truth about how life is meant to function.

“Be Fruitful and Multiply” Was Never About Chaos

“Be fruitful and multiply” was never a command for frantic growth or relentless striving. It was a call to regulated increase.

True fruitfulness flows from focus, alignment, and peace, not from stress, pressure, or emotional dysregulation.

Scripture does not promote reckless expansion, endless activity, or hustle-driven productivity.

Fruitfulness is not chaos.
Multiplication is not disorder.

In nature, nothing multiplies sustainably from a state of dysregulation.

Fruitfulness Requires Regulation, Not Rush

In biological systems, growth only occurs when an organism is in homeostasis—a regulated, balanced internal state. When a system is under constant stress or threat, growth shuts down and survival mode takes over.

The same is true spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.

A person who is anxious, reactive, distracted, or internally conflicted may appear busy—but they are not truly fruitful. Their energy is spent managing imbalance, not creating life.

True fruitfulness flows from:

Focused attention
Emotional regulation
Spiritual alignment
Inner peace

In other words: Shalom precedes multiplication.

Focus Is the Gatekeeper of Peace

Peace is not passive—it is highly focused.

A regulated system knows:

What to respond to
What to ignore
What to release

When focus is scattered, peace collapses. When peace collapses, homeostasis is lost. And when homeostasis is lost, growth becomes distorted—forced instead of organic.

This is why so many people are multiplying activity but not impact, information but not wisdom, noise but not fruit.

Disregulated Growth Produces Destruction

In nature, uncontrolled multiplication is called cancer.

Cancer is not foreign—it is growth without regulation.

Spiritually and socially, the same principle applies:

Ambition without peace becomes domination
Vision without balance becomes burnout
Productivity without alignment becomes destruction

God’s original mandate was never about speed.
It was about sustainability across generations.

Peace Is the Environment Where Increase Is Safe

When your inner world is regulated—spiritually and emotionally—you create an environment where ideas, relationships, creativity, leadership, and influence can grow without harm.

This is what Shalom protects:

Growth without damage
Increase without loss
Expansion without collapse

To be fruitful and multiply is to increase peacefully, not aggressively.
It is to grow from wholeness, not from lack.

A Maverick Truth

The world celebrates hustle.
Nature honours balance.
Scripture calls it peace.

When peace and homeostasis are aligned, fruitfulness becomes inevitable.

The Commandments That Protect Homeostasis

Jesus distilled all of life into two commandments:

Love God
Love your neighbour as yourself

That final phrase matters more than we realise.

You cannot love your neighbour well if you do not know who you are. And you cannot love yourself if you are disconnected from your true identity.

Restoring Peace Through Inner Regulation

Peace is not the absence of conflict.
Peace is homeostasis of the soul.

Anxiety, depression, burnout, and trauma may appear different on the surface, but at their core they reflect the same issue: loss of inner balance.

Anxiety is an overactivated nervous system
Depression is emotional and mental underactivation
Burnout is prolonged imbalance without recovery
Trauma is a system frozen in survival mode

Mental health, then, is not primarily about diagnosis or pathology. It is about restoring regulation, alignment, and peace—what biology calls homeostasis and Scripture calls Shalom.

True healing begins when the soul, mind, and body are brought back into harmony. When we live from emotional regulation, spiritual alignment, and focused awareness, peace becomes more than a feeling—it becomes a stable internal environment where growth is safe.

This is where fruitfulness begins.
Not in striving.
Not in survival.
But in balance.

If you are searching for inner peace, struggling with anxiety or depression, feeling the weight of burnout, or trying to make sense of unresolved trauma, the path forward is not found in endless activity or avoidance. It is found in restoring homeostasis of the soul—a regulated, whole, and grounded way of being.

Shalom!

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Unpacking Maverick: Identity, Writing, and the Journey of Becoming

Unpacking Maverick: Who I Am and Who I Am Becoming

Unpacking Maverick is a personal reflection on identity, writing as healing, and the journey of Becoming Maverick—discovering purpose, voice, and distinction beyond average living.

Becoming Maverick is not just a philosophy.

It is personal.

Before it became a blog, a framework, or a body of work, it was an inner conversation—one I didn’t yet have the language to express.

For most of my life, I never regarded writing as one of my strengths. In fact, I avoided it. I never considered sharpening the skill, let alone imagined it could become a tool for healing—or something that could one day generate income.

Life, however, has a way of laughing gently at our assumptions.

And then redirecting us.

Writing: The Tool I Never Chose—but Needed

When I first began writing, it was bad.
Let’s be honest.

My spelling was questionable.
My grammar inconsistent.
My use of the English language… unconventional at best.

There was a total disregard for the “rules”—not out of rebellion, but out of ignorance. I simply wrote because something inside me needed a way out.

What started as clumsy expression slowly became clarity.

Over time, my grammar improved. My spelling stabilised. I still lean on the spellchecker—humbly—but the growth is undeniable. More importantly, the purpose of writing revealed itself.

Writing as Healing, Not Performance

Writing gave me something I didn’t know I lacked:
a safe place to process thought.

I am an introvert—and today, I say that with confidence and pride. Introverts live rich internal lives. The danger is not feeling too little, but feeling too much with nowhere constructive to put it.

Writing became that place.

It allowed emotions, ideas, frustrations, and imagination—once suppressed or becoming toxic—to be expressed in a constructive way. Thoughts that would have remained hidden found form. Inner conversations found language.

This was not about public speaking.
It was about self-translation.

From Inner Dialogue to Outer Impact

Something unexpected happened along the way.

Those private reflections—once meant only for myself—began to resonate with others. What started as personal processing became tools. Tools for thinking. Tools for healing. Tools for growth.

Eventually, those tools began to create value—financially, professionally, and relationally—not only for me, but for others too.

That’s when I realised:
This wasn’t just writing.

This was Becoming Maverick in action.

Who Am I Becoming?

I am still unpacking the Maverick my parents named Steven Wayne Nicholls.

Not as a finished product—but as a work in progress.

Becoming Maverick is not about perfection. It is about alignment. About giving language to what is true. About stewarding thought responsibly. About refusing to live muted when clarity is possible.

This journey continues to shape who I am—and who I am becoming.

A Word to the Reader

If you’re reading this and doubting your voice, your skill, or your starting point—hear this clearly:

Yes, you can do this.

Growth does not require polished beginnings. It requires honest ones. The Maverick journey is not reserved for the confident—it is forged by the committed.

Write. Think. Reflect. Build.
Let the process shape you.

Enjoy Your Journey of Becoming Maverick

This is not about becoming someone else.
It is about becoming fully yourself—awake, intentional, and grounded in purpose.

The journey continues.

Enjoy your journey of Becoming Maverick.

Shalom!

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Becoming Maverick: Above and Beyond Average

Becoming Maverick explores what separates remarkable people from the average. Learn how Mavericks think, live above average, and build lives of distinction through principle-driven choices.

In every generation, there are those who blend in—and those who stand apart.

The world quietly rewards average. It celebrates comfort, conformity, and consensus. Yet history is shaped by a different kind of individual: the Maverick.

Becoming Maverick is not about rebellion, ego, or elitism. It is about choosing to live above and beyond average in a world that prefers you stay manageable, predictable, and distracted.

Who Are Mavericks?

Mavericks are remarkable people—not because they chase attention, but because they live with intention.

They are people of distinction who:

Think independently
Question dominant narratives
Refuse borrowed blueprints
Anchor their lives in timeless principles

Mavericks do not outsource their thinking. They do not confuse popularity with truth or trends with wisdom. Their strength lies not in noise, but in clarity.

Above and Beyond Average Is a Discipline

Average is not neutral—it is a gravitational pull.

Living above and beyond average requires daily resistance:

Resistance to mental laziness
Resistance to cultural conditioning
Resistance to short-term thinking

The Maverick mindset understands that excellence is not a burst of effort—it is a system of habits, values, and choices repeated over time.

Average reacts.
Mavericks respond.

Remarkable People Are Formed Through Alignment

Remarkable people are not born extraordinary—they are shaped.

They align:

Belief with action
Values with decisions
Vision with discipline

They study deeply, reflect honestly, and learn relentlessly. They draw from ancient wisdom, universal principles, and historical patterns—then apply them to modern challenges.

This is why Mavericks remain steady while others are destabilised by change.

People of Distinction Think in Principles, Not Trends

Trends are loud.
Principles are quiet—but unshakable.

People of distinction build their lives around:

Moral clarity
Long-term consequence
Stewardship and responsibility
Adaptability without compromise

They may appear out of step with their time—until time proves them right.

How Does One Reach Maverick Status?

Becoming Maverick is not an event. It is a process of awakening.

To cultivate the Maverick mindset:

Reject passive consumption – Question what you watch, read, and repeat.
Build a mental immune system – Understand propaganda, persuasion, and narrative control.
Commit to lifelong growth – Comfort is the enemy of distinction.
Live deliberately – Every choice reinforces either average or excellence.
Think in legacy, not applause – Mavericks build for impact beyond themselves.

This path is demanding—but it is deeply rewarding.

The Cost of Becoming Maverick

Yes, the Maverick path is costly:

Fewer shortcuts
More responsibility
Deeper self-examination

But the reward is rare:

Integrity
Freedom of thought
Inner authority
A life of meaning, not imitation

Becoming Maverick Is a Choice

Mavericks are not flawless.
They are awake.

They refuse to sleepwalk through life.
They choose intention over impulse.
Principle over popularity.
Legacy over convenience.

The world does not need more average.

It needs Mavericks.

And the question is no longer who are these people?
The question is:

Will you choose to become one of them?

Let's do this!

Enjoy your journey of Becoming Maverick.

Shalom!

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