CHANGE
/Edition #2 Issue #2
Last week I wrote on “Letting Go”, and if you haven’t read it go back and click on it, because the start of change has to be in letting go of the past. As Albert Einstein kindly informed us:
“No problem can ever be solved at the level of awareness at which it was created.”
So what exactly does this mean? - It means we have to change our perspective, change the way we look at life, the way we think things should be and start looking at other people’s perspective, and change our outlook to be understanding, accepting, believing, knowing our idea may not be the last and final; ‘all doing, all knowing’ perspective on a problem, or idea. Letting go of your past beliefs, is the commencement of change, and change in our thought patterns is key to bringing about lasting change in the way we interact with people, places and things. How we act and interact with our environment is the key to our happiness. And having people around us respect and like us.
Our past thought patterns leading to judgement and prejudice need to be suspended. Today we will look at how you can instil change in life by changing the way you look at life. How our past instructions, past belief systems, how our upbringing, or family of origin; affects our look on life, our perspective of life if you will. And how we need to change the way we look at things to bring about change. Change has to start with the way we perceive our environment, how we look at things and how we are judgement filled.
How our prejudices and thought patterns affect us in our everyday life is the start. When we are able to identify and suspend these thought patterns, our life will begin to change for the better.
Photograph by author © 2015 www.beyondthe12th.com All rights reserved.
SUSPENDING JUDGEMENT
In suspending thought patterns of judgement, prejudice, preconception, we need to first look at how do we see the world? What are the learnings lead us to perceive things as we see them and what is the possibility this is incorrect, and only an image of our self-centered preconception of what things actually look like. What if the world is really much different from what my mind, my ego-self, preconceived notions, of what I am perceiving; what if, what I am accepting as real is flawed? Is all an illusion?
How do we change? – First we have to identify each and every instant when we feel emotion about an event, words, things… I need to take a step back and identify: Firstly identify my emotions, then identify my thought patterns and from here I need to move away from my historical beliefs, default settings if you will. I need to take a big step away from this thing is hurtful to me, the emotion will drive me to say or do something I may regret, something I may say or do which will cause harm, to me, or others. Wow! This is new to me, I always did things because. Just because they are the right thing to do! Now how is this change coming about? I need to look at the actions I am about to take, the feelings caused me to react, the consequences of my actions and why do I even have to feel anything at all. What is really going on here? This is the question? What has my reaction to do with the big picture and how can we have good outcome for everyone and everything becomes as it should be in harmony. Do I have to be diplomatic? And look at the situation from the other person, or several persons’ perspective? Do I have to learn tact? To be empathic, and understanding? The answer to all these is YES! A huge YES! I need to rise above the game and look from the other person’s perspective, be it a spouse, a foe, a son or daughter, a parent, a boss, and employee, a guy in the bar, a gal at lunch butting in line because, you know, we’re all in a hurry. No matter what the reason for feelings to rise up in me, I have to look at life from a very different perspective, rise above the occasion and step back and see from above. There is nothing worth anger or fear, or upsetting anyone here, how can I reach out tactfully and create a win/win situation from something so easily can go bad?
When I suspend judgement, suspend prejudice, like, honestly and fully, I am able to look at life differently. When I use principles of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), or Empathic Listening (EL) skills to look at the world around me through other’s eyes is a great start to complete suspension for life as we know it. These models, AI, and EL are but some of the teaching models we can use to commence this process. When we are able to properly identify with other world-view or paradigms if you will, we will be at the top of our game and make everyone around us look at us in a different light. They will learn a new respect and a new love for us as we are meant to be. Human! Compassionate human beings; on this earth to learn to live amongst each other peacefully, and in complete harmony with natural world, this is what we should be striving for.
IT’S ALL AN ILLUSION
Can it all be an illusion? - The way we look at life is through the lenses of the upbringing. The way we think, feel, see, and act/react is a mirror image of the people we look up to; sometimes without wanting to. The violent man could possibly a mirror image of his father; even if he promised himself he will never treat anybody like the way he was brought up, so many years later identifying the same traits and behaviors in himself. I know this from firsthand experience, we mimic the things we know, and if there is no change, there is no change. The inner work needed to create this change is deep and needs to be addressed, even if it’s not violent as in my case. Any behavior we inherit is but an illusion and we need to delve deeply into the default setting and do the inner work required to reset the settings and realize just all an illusion.
In this New Year, this is the time to set this goal, work toward CHANGE and inner peace by letting go and accepting the things we so cling onto may be killing us and its time NOW, this very moment to CHANGE!
Look for next week’s edition on “EGO-MIND”. And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive it directly you won’t miss a beat.
