The mind is the place where we create our lives. Our experiences are a reflection of our state of mind, so whatever is happening in our mind is what we will experience. To be more specific, our minds generate a belief system as a foundation of everything we experience. Our beliefs are actually a complex structure of past experience and the education we have received from our families, schools, and many other institutions such as religion and government. Our beliefs provide us with the vehicle through which we perceive our physical reality. Although it is quite natural to “believe” that our beliefs are correct, in actuality, many of them are born of misconceptions and misunderstandings. It is not so much that our beliefs are incorrect, it is that we do not achieve a complete understanding of the experiences we are having because of the limitations our beliefs contain. In time, we grow and learn and begin to fill in the gaps. This is why we tend to have similar experiences over and over again. The important thing to recognize, however, is that when we are learning something new, there will most likely be some unpleasant components to the experience, such as feelings of fear and failure. What unfortunately happens next is that we attach these feelings to the initial experience and make these feelings the “truth” of that experience. This is a misconception. The reality is that the original experience and its associated feelings were only the beginning of the process of full understanding. If we accept the premise that our beliefs do in fact control the perception of our physical reality, regardless of any basis in fact or truth, we have created a dilemma for ourselves. It is very important to understand that what we believe to be true is directly related to the experiences we have. This is what gives our beliefs power. The problem we have is that we do not spend the time to actually consider the beliefs we have and how these beliefs greatly impact the condition of our lives. With a proper assessment and analysis of our beliefs, we will have a better indication of what we are creating. Perhaps our life is not going as planned, or we are not getting what we want. Perhaps we harbor hatred or resentment, but don’t understand why. These are common problems for sure, but how do we find a resolution? Let’s take a closer look at the creative process itself.
Our minds generate our belief systems, and our beliefs generate patterns of thinking. These patterns of thinking tend to be habitual until the beliefs behind them are either completely understood or completely let go of. As real as these thoughts and beliefs seem to be, they are not permanent. Believe it or not, there is nothing set in stone here. The mind is dynamic, flexible, and most certainly changeable. Our minds are in a constant state of motion, always shifting and changing, one thought after the next. These qualities or conditions of mind are necessary, for this is where we create and build our lives. As thoughts are generated from beliefs, feelings are generated from thoughts. When feelings are added to our thoughts, we begin to develop a sense of realness to what we’re creating. Our feelings give our thoughts passion and movement. It is the feelings we have about our thoughts that impel us to some action or another. This is the beautiful hierarchy of creation that lives within us in every moment! It is actually a very simple and straightforward process, so what could possibly go wrong?
When we give certain thoughts attention, we also give them power, and this will eventually create a corresponding experience based on those thoughts. If we are not having the kinds of experiences we want in life, the correction needs to be made at this level. Let’s say, for example, that we wake up one morning filled with negative thoughts. If we do not acknowledge the attention we give to these negative and limiting thoughts, we will proceed with our day and find ourselves spinning out of control into further and further unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Does this sound familiar? We must always remember that energy follows thought. This is cause and effect in the truest sense. Because we have a tendency not to pay enough attention to what we are thinking about, the thoughts will relegate themselves to the subconscious part of our minds, where they can control us without our awareness. This is especially true for the foundational beliefs that generate our patterns of thinking in the first place. It would be natural to assume that all we have to do is replace our negative thoughts with more positive and productive ones to make the necessary correction. Although this would certainly help, it is not the complete picture. We also need to replace the belief that supports the thoughts we are having. We all have difficulty manifesting what we want. It seems like no matter what we do or how we do it, we just can’t get it right. For example, a very common desire that most of us have is to be involved in a loving relationship. But if we believe that we do not deserve love, we will have a very difficult time finding it. This is where most of our inner work begins. We must replace the belief that we are unlovable with something more accurate and suitable to our needs. This is what our healing is all about. The most difficult part of the process is letting go of the feelings we have inappropriately attached to our experiences. Our goal is to reach deep within ourselves to discover what our foundational beliefs actually are. Until we are willing to do this, our patterns of thinking will not change, and our life experiences will also not change. If we are willing to take a look, we will surely find beliefs we did not know we had. We will also find that many of these beliefs are quite limiting at best and completely false at worst. When we continue to insist that our beliefs are true and cannot change, the conditions of our lives and the conditions of the world in which we live will not change.
The most important tool we have at our disposal is the ability to change our minds at any time. This is the gift given to us to help us create our lives. We must be willing to bring out those deeply held beliefs into the light of day. Then we have something to work with. When we decide to take the wheel of our own ship, our habitual patterns of thinking cease to control our experience. We do this by paying attention to what we’re paying attention to. When we don’t pay attention, our minds will surely run a muck, and we’re unfortunately headed for disaster! When we remain unaware of our thoughts and beliefs, we will have the sense that we are a victim of life rather than the creator and director of our life. If we adopt a new belief, one that is more positive and suitable to what we are attempting to create, our patterns of thinking will change accordingly, and better life experiences will follow. We have to do the preliminary work first, however. We can’t adopt new beliefs without dumping the old ones. This takes enormous courage, for we have to experience the many unpleasant feelings associated with the old beliefs and ways of thinking and let them go. Choosing freedom and truth as a motivating factor is a great place to begin!
All my love and support, stay safe and be well