Thank you for your response. Let's discuss what you wrote.

the mind itself is a construct we've created over time

Yes, as I said in the article, we are "continually constituting our self with our thoughts and actions."

We, the mind-self, influence our thoughts.

Yes, which I also stated, and you also stated as much observing that we create our mind. It's a continual dynamic, self-thoughts-self-thoughts...

Thoughts are like viruses and the mind like a host.

That is self-evidently false because thoughts aren't running around separate from a mind replicating themselves.

[thoughts] must be trained/retrained or organized into coherence.

Which is how we in that self-thoughts dynamic make us who we are, as I stated.

some may be "self-conscious" which is a form of shame.

Yes, a great example of how our thoughts make us who we are. The thought creates a mood, the mood creates further thoughts and actions, and this constitutes the self and its stance toward self and world.

Great examples that demonstrate the points made in my article. Thank you.