Why Self-improvement Fails for Some

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Angela

To me it feels like: as Joely mentioned, noticing a habitual thought, seeing what it's costing me (like feeling bad, jealous, hurt, resentful, etc.), seeing what it's costing others (like not feeling free around me) and deliberately looking for a thought that will get me going downstream.

Would you call this activity awareness? Or making yourself think a certain way?

Sometimes it's a big bold thought, like "I am so wealthy! I'm so grateful that I have the time to type this, and have a delicious muffin in front of me, and to be beginning my coaching business! I am very, very grateful for everything that is supporting me right now." Sometimes it's a much smaller increment of feeling good, like "He's doing the best he can, just like I am."

Perhaps these are ego thoughts wanting to join the party.

And maybe what I think of as deliberate thought is the same as what m18pak calls an energy field -- I just got back from a little walk to get my muffin, and a half-dozen people told me how beautiful and happy I look. I think my polka-dot skirt helped.

It may just be all at the same time - deliberate thoughts and awareness...

[Angela]

Originally Posted by wolfgang

Would you call this activity awareness? Or making yourself think a certain way?

There is awareness, and then there's deliberate thought. Both are delicious.

Perhaps these are ego thoughts wanting to join the party.

Celebrating feeling supported, looking around at the abundance that's already here and being grateful are "ego thoughts"? Do you feel diminished by that?

It may just be all at the same time - deliberate thoughts and awareness...

It may be. I see it more as: awareness is letting go, and deliberate thought is generating. Again, both are delicious and effective, in living a life I love.

[The Cloud]

Originally Posted by m18pak

It's like you can see what the problem is, see what you need to do to solve it, and then for some reason you just can't take the necessary action to solve it. It's like your brain has a mind of its own and when the time comes it just treacherously thwarts your intentions, no matter what you do or how hard you try.

I think that the reason improvement often doesn't work is because people miss the point of what the problem is. I know that I myself will at times try to change one aspect of myself and find that it is almost insurmountably difficult. Then I will eventually realize that I looking at it from the wrong angle, trying to do something that I knew I wanted to do but not recognizing the reason.

One example for me was switching to a starchless and sugarless (excepting sugars from fruits and vegetables) diet. At first when I tried it I wanted to lose weight, I wanted to gain muscle, I wanted to live longer. I totally missed the point. I wanted some kind of future benefit, which I would never receive because the benefit would always be in the future. It was extremely difficult for me, and ultimately I failed.

I thought about it, and I realized that I really wanted to do the diet for its own sake, just because I believe that it's healthy, not for any other benefits. I just wanted it for its own sake. I started the diet again, and with practically zero effort I have maintained it with virtually no backsliding for several months.

My point is, even if you do the right thing, if it's for the wrong reasons it won't work. The effort will be an unsustainable drain on your resources. But if you learn why you really want to do it, and it's a worthy motive, it doesn't even become effort anymore. It becomes just another thing you do.

[Mama3boys]

Maybe it is because I am a FlyLady "maggot" or maybe it is because I homeschool a challenged child, but I am definitely an advocate of choosing a path and taking baby steps along it. I tweak my plans to be sure but I lay them out so I know that I have a good chance of reaching my destination.

For instance to help my challenged child and morbidly obese dh we need to make some changes to our diet. Trying to go wheat-free and dairy-free in one big step is just too difficult to consider for our family of 5 plus one on the way. Instead I am breaking it down into miniscule steps, i.e. first of all we are going to add more recipes to our main meals that are wheat free and dairy free. Then I am going to add more vegetables and fruit in meals and snacks. Then I am going to add new baked goods that are wheat and dairy free. I am planning to gradually reduce the number of meals that contain these ingredients over a 6 month period and by the end of the year be totally wheat and dairy free. Yes, we could try to do it instantly, we would probably see great results within a couple of months but we all resist change and when I as cook will be resisting the will of 5 other people who don't want to change (and who really don't understand why we should if it is going to be uncomfortable, DH! ) I figure I have to break this down into tiny achieveable steps or it just won't happen.

It takes a lot of patience but then another aspect of our character gets developed then along the way, as well as will, determination and persistance. Surely not a bad thing.

Best wishes,
Jen in Oz

Originally Posted by hkalchemy

Effortless Wealth and Abundance
First, it's not a case of 'all or nothing.' You can improve not at all, a huge amount or anything in between. Being unrealistic in one's goals is the reason some people fail - they don't see that a small step in the right direction is still an achievement, still an improvement.

Second, the trick is persistence. The dripping tap soon fills the bucket. Again, many people think that improvement has to be BIG SCALE. I think you need to keep asking 'What has improved?' And when you look, you'll find something, even if it isn't much and even if it took a long time. So long as you keep on keeping on, you're already way ahead of the game. Most people take some action, don't see immediate results and then give up.

Third, we need to remember that we are not improving ourselves, only the way we think. When we try to improve ourselves and then 'fail,' that just validates our belief that there's something wrong with us in the first place. we need to challenge and change the way we think about things.

[awakentransform]

I find that hypnotherapy has been so successful with helping people change because it addresses the subconscious. One of the best methods is to talk to the part that is doing the negative behavior and find out what it's needs are.

Everyone does their habits for different reasons. For instance, one person may smoke for stress relief, while another may smoke to rebel. If we just ignore the needs behind the behavior and try to change the behavior, the part that needs stress relief or rebellion may sabotage our efforts. If we address the needs of that part and find another way to fulfill it, then we are likely to have success in changing the behavior.

If someone has done a lot of inner work, their subconscious needs may be mostly getting met and it may be easy to change. If someone hasn't done much inner work and just tries to use their will to ignore their subconscious, it will probably backfire. That has been my experience at least.

All these parts we label as bad: the angry part, the jealous part, the negative part, etc. have developed to fulfill some need on our part, usually for security or for attention/love. If we push these parts away, they get stronger, sort of like a pressure cooker. It's draining to be holding them back all the time too. But if we embrace this part and thank it for doing the best it knew how but then redirect it on a better way to fulfill this need, it frees up all our energy and makes us whole.

[bellemeadows]

I find that hypnotherapy has been so successful with helping people change because it addresses the subconscious. One of the best methods is to talk to the part that is doing the negative behavior and find out what it's needs are.

I like that perspective -- lovely. Thank you!

Angela -- you asked me what I thought about LOA, so I thought I'd share. These are my opinions only:

Before we knew language we were here in our bodies; in the womb, and then crawling and toddling around. Thoughts use language to communicate. Therefore, there is a deeper layer of 'us'; call it the subconscious, call it whatever. It still operates both with and w/out language. So lets start with that premise.

There are attitudes and reactions we learned before we used language. Were those attitudes and reactions any less real for us because we had no language to express them? I don't think so. IMHO, most core beliefs are deeper than language; they are an attitude embedded in our psyche which we adopted prior to the time when our brain had learned a language, or they were adopted when we had language, but they are more than the thoughts we think about them, deeper, and an aspect of them is not in language.

After the fact, when we learn language, we can tie a thought to those beliefs, but again, a thought is in language which ties words to concepts -- so it is once removed from the actuality of those core beliefs. I believe that when we think thoughts that agree with those core beliefs, there is a resonnance, and there is no resistence, and so we can impact our LOA almost instantly. Every aspect of our being, in that case, is in agreement. So no problem.

It is when we are thinking thoughts that are discordant with those core beliefs that we find there is no battery to support the reality those thoughts are working to manifest; so no LOA, or an unsatisfying LOA.

I've worked with LOA since I was young, and came across Catherine Ponder. I live a bit more of my life then most in that space where there is no language, so it became clear to me quite quickly that there is an aspect of being that thoughts and affirmations do not reach.

Again, thoughts, affirmations and denials -- they work great as long as there is a resonnance with the core belief system in play. You can have it all, do it all and be it all if there is alignment with all aspects of being. If not, LOA will have limitations, and demonstrations will be sporadic. If your core beliefs are to the negative -- demonstrations will not be satisfying even when they occur. For example, you LOA for money, it comes, but what comes with it is not good at all -- e.g., you smash up your fav car and the money comes, but you must use it to buy another car, one which you end up not liking as much as the first one. . . . So the money came but no real change in your LOA.

Thoughts use language. Language uses symbols of concepts to communicate. Therefore, thoughts are once removed from our being. . . . it takes more than changing your thoughts to change your being, although it helps. . . or perhaps if you have the willpower to work those thoughts over and over again, it can be done.

To me, the real trick is to get to that level of being that is more than just thoughts. . . .

When you are in a state of nonduality -- that state where you feel one with the universe and are soooooo grateful and entirely need-free; the thoughts you think that are not discordant with that nonduality have a huge battery. Those thoughts can result in instantaneous manifestation and there is no downside. I consider those thoughts, the thoughts I think with God. IMHO that is where the instantaneous healings come from. . . .

Just something to consider. Blessings from Belle,

[stevedevane]

Belle,
Thanks for sharing your insights. I have a couple of questions.
Where do you believe these core beliefs originate? And, can we change at that innermost level? If so, how?
Thanks.

[Angela]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Belle. (Actually I wasn't asking about the LoA, though; specifically I was asking what is your difference between thought and belief, and you have answered that.)

In your thought or belief system (I don't know which this is for you ), it sounds like, since language and thought are inextricably bound, then a human who never learns language is incapable of thought, only belief. An infant younger than, oh, what? a year old? is not thinking, but just reacting? How about Helen Keller? Did she only start thinking after Annie came along?

[wolfgang]

Beliefs can be thoughts that we have over and over again. Almost like habits. We expect a certain situation to have certain results or effects or outcomes.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by bellemeadows

Thoughts use language. Language uses symbols of concepts to communicate. Therefore, thoughts are once removed from our being. . . . it takes more than changing your thoughts to change your being, although it helps. . . or perhaps if you have the willpower to work those thoughts over and over again, it can be done.

To me, the real trick is to get to that level of being that is more than just thoughts. . . .

This is similar to what I say about thoughts are like side effects or interpretations of what our awareness is being. I think willpower is just our awareness directing the brain in a direction and the thoughts that we have at that point may not fit our habitual self yet.

When you are in a state of nonduality -- that state where you feel one with the universe and are soooooo grateful and entirely need-free; the thoughts you think that are not discordant with that nonduality have a huge battery.

"not discordant with nonduality" - lots of negatives to understand that statement. could be - the thoughts you have that are coming from oneness. What are those thoughts? Can't we have duality thoughts about oneness? Are all thoughts actually part of duality? To think outside of duality is what? Probably not thought - probably label-less awareness or Being. But then we need duality to stay grounded or we'd just be blissed out and unable to communicate anything to anybody.

Those thoughts can result in instantaneous manifestation and there is no downside. I consider those thoughts, the thoughts I think with God. IMHO that is where the instantaneous healings come from. . . .

Just something to consider. Blessings from Belle,

Do you think that God likes to think in duality too?

[bellemeadows]

In your thought or belief system (I don't know which this is for you ), it sounds like, since language and thought are inextricably bound, then a human who never learns language is incapable of thought, only belief. An infant younger than, oh, what? a year old? is not thinking, but just reacting? How about Helen Keller? Did she only start thinking after Annie came along?

Well, I don't really believe all thoughts are in language. There is a place in our minds which is beyond language; after all, we thought before we had language; we believed before we had language; we learned before we had language. We image in our minds, without language. I believe this is where premonitions happen in our minds, where animal communication happens.

Once we learn a language, we now primarily think using language. Language has its limitations -- it also has many advantages. When you work to change your thinking, typically you primarily work with language-bound thoughts.

I don't know, it is hard for me to put this in words. I just think there is soooo much more to us than what we 'think' we are. It is in truly knowing ourselves and others that we open the door to real changes in perspective, to moving beyond those original beliefs the ones encoded into our minds before we had language, and perhaps even to some extent since.

As for God; I don't believe God is capable of thinking from a duality perspective, in fact, I'm not sure God is capable of thought at all as we know it -- my experiences of God or transcendance is that there is no judgment no separation only love. Isn't most of our thinking, by definition, judgment. . . ?

I do know that when I am in that experience of oneness, it seems like there are no limitations. However, I am no authority, I can only really say that this is how it seems for me.

Hope this helps, Blessings from Belle,

[Angela]

Originally Posted by bellemeadows

As for God; I don't believe God is capable of thinking from a duality perspective, in fact, I'm not sure God is capable of thought at all as we know it -- my experiences of God or transcendance is that there is no judgment no separation only love. Isn't most of our thinking, by definition, judgment. . . ?

Is that not a thought? My point is, I don't think (or believe! ) that thoughts and beliefs are two different things, or that beliefs are somehow deeper and more timeless than thoughts. I believe (and think! ) that it's all the same stuff.

I think what you're saying is that there is something timeless and essential, maybe your connection with god? -- that you are calling belief, right? A kind of knowing beyond words, beyond this physical existence even, that is not tied to the thoughts you think in your "bellemeadows" body. It's a little hard to even articulate, isn't it? Am I getting close to understanding what you're saying?

[jbsmith]

Negative energy is one way of explaining the resistance to improvement many people experience...another way to look at it is what is BEHIND this negative energy?

What is it that exists inside of us that is so overwhelmingly powerfully negative that we can rarely discover it for ourselves or have the ability to admit to ourselves it is a problem?

May I suggest...

1. Being comfortable with our position and purpose in the world? To the extend we avoid the inner discovery of our passions and purpose in this world, we manifest anger, frustration, complacency and other negative energies that cannot be solved until we go back and discover our true purpose.

2. Our ability to uncover and manage our fears. Let's face it, we all have things, situations, scenarios that we have built such an incredibly powerful sense of fear around that we avoid them -- let them rule our life substituting what we really want but are too afraid to try with negative behaviors such as guilt, blame, lashing out, substance abuse to escape, over-eating, etc...

A major traumatic health crisis in my own life 15-years ago enlightened me to both my complete lack of touch with my true purpose and a huge host of fears and anxieties I had irrationally built that had a major impact on my relationships, career, finances -- my entire life.

Using methods to uncover inner needs, purpose and manage fear...suddenly the path is created through which to experience further self improvement.

[Revolution]

You need clear-cut goals. Every time you say an affirmation it sets your brain off in a new direction. But could it be that some of your goals are in conflict with oneanother?

You see, you don't want to confuse your mind.

I want to ask you something M18pak. You don't have to answer.
What is your main goal in life? Is there a purpose to life? If so what is it?

If you find the answer to such questions my advice is to limit your affirmations to the answer and the answer only.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by m18pak

[...]It's like your brain has a mind of its own and when the time comes it just treacherously thwarts your intentions, no matter what you do or how hard you try. [...]
I think the answer is that we humans are far more complex organisms than we take into account, namely that we have an energetic field around us that influences our thoughts, feelings, actions, and the situations that we manifest.[...]So for example an person who generally has a lot of angry thoughts, feelings etc will generate more and more anger energy in his aura until eventually it "vibrates" at an anger "frequency".

You're right that we humans are incredibly complex organisms. Which is exactly why you don't need to introduce concepts like "auras" and "energy fields" to explain that a complex biology can explain.

The human body achieves homeostasis in many ways; for example to keep our internal temperature constant or to ensure that oxygen keeps coming into the body.

It's not surprising that the mind works in a similar way. What you've done in your life so far has managed to not get you killed - in evolutionary terms, it's worked brilliantly! And your brain has mechanisms in place to discourage you from attempting to change from what's "worked" up to date. You may know that there aren't sabretoothed lions lurking around the next bush, but the structure of your brain was put together when there were.

eg. I read/heard a brilliant description of procrastination the other day. There's something you want to avoid so your mind labels it "threat!". Then what do you do? You keep still while it gets closer and closer, and only when it's too close to avoid do you leap into action. It's a classic fight-or-flight response.

Originally Posted by m18pak

Okay, a lot of you guys are obviously very polite and don't want to just come out and say it, but please, if you think I'm wrong, just say so, and then give your reasons for disagreeing with me. Feel free to point out the flaws in my argument or to debate with me on why my hypothesis does not hold up.

I actually think you're right, but where you say "aura" I would say "habituated subconscious self-preservation mechanism" or something (yours is catchier, I grant you .

Again, there's no need to ascribe to an external force that which is easily explained by the way our own brains are laid out.

Some people find it easier than others to change because brains differ in what they've encoded as threats, and to what extent.

Originally Posted by m18pak

Some people have talked about how you need to just consciously and deliberately choose your thoughts; well, I too would like to be in conscious control of my thoughts all the time, but I think it's pretty obvious to all that it's not gonna happen. Get real. I'd say that we can be in conscious control of our thoughts maybe 5% of the time, maybe 10% if we try really hard. The essential message of that attitude is that you just need to have better self-control. It's unrealistic and irresponsible to promote such an ideal as the solution, to say the least.[...] It's highly naive and simplistic to say that all you have to do is to choose to change your thoughts and then you'll be able to do it.

DirtSimple.org gave what I find a great description of the human mind: Conscious thought is a very recent addition in evolutionary terms. Your "subconscious mind" is a much more powerful and ancient brain that runs many tasks in parallel while your conscious mind can focus on only one.

"You" (aka "the ego") are essentially a computer program running on the computer of the subconscious mind. You don't have direct control over your subconscious mind - that's not your role. You can also control your body's priorities in the short term, of course, but as you've noted the subconscious will exert constant pressure to retain homeostasis.

As far as the subconscious is concerned, you're not a commander, you're a filter subroutine. You're there to apply some logical filtering to your experiences as they're fed into the subconscious.

You don't control your subconscious by trying to order it about. You control it indirectly by choosing how to filter what you experience.

That's probably why visualisation works so well - it's the most direct manner of choosing what the subconscious experiences.

Originally Posted by Stephen

You are saying here that its a scientific fact that "everything is energy, including your thoughts and feelings"
No. You are stating your opinion. This is not fact.

Actually, it pretty much is a fact. Matter is a form of energy (E=MC^2). Thoughts are basically electricity propogated through the brain. It's all energy.

There also is an aura of electrical energy emanating from the human body - not spectacularly surprising given the amount of electrical signals constantly flowing through the human body.

What is opinion is that the energy in the aura influences the thoughts. There's some reason to believe it might work the other way (and I'm speculating here) - that changes in brain activity would affect the emanation of electricity. I would also expect changes in biochemistry to affect the emanation of electricity (for example, if you were fighting off an infection). But it seems unlikely that a electricity field that's being emanated by the body and dissipating into space would retain anything independent of the body emitting it.

Originally Posted by Angela

Belle, what are beliefs if not thoughts?

You weren't asking me but IMO, beliefs are clusters of subconscious memory patterns and thoughts are transient signals that pass through the consciousness. Thoughts are analogous to data currently being processed in the CPU while beliefs are analogous to clusters of data stored on the hard drive. (It's not a perfect analogy because the subconscious isn't passive storage - it's also a pattern matching system).

Beliefs aren't directly accessed by consciousness - they're far too big. Instead, experiences trigger responses from the subconscious that are influenced by the belief patterns. For example, you see a dog walking towards you. Depending on what generalised patterns have been encoded in your subconscious it might spit out "A dog! Flee!" or "Aw, how cute!".

It makes sense to me that beliefs would be chemical (for long term storage) and thoughts electrical, but that's speculation.

[jaydeschizo]

Originally Posted by Keith

You're right that we humans are incredibly complex organisms. Which is exactly why you don't need to introduce concepts like "auras" and "energy fields" to explain that a complex biology can explain.
etc...

Keith, thank you for sharing, and explaining your opinion. I find these kinds op topics easier to digest from a slightly more scientific perspective, than the perspective of the OP.

[shivraj]

Life itself is the greatest SELF IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. More are problems, difficulties more is learning and development, understanding and ultimately happiness !!

[bellemeadows]

Beliefs aren't directly accessed by consciousness - they're far too big. Instead, experiences trigger responses from the subconscious that are influenced by the belief patterns. For example, you see a dog walking towards you. Depending on what generalised patterns have been encoded in your subconscious it might spit out "A dog! Flee!" or "Aw, how cute!".

Wowser, beautifully written post. I agree!!!!! Thank you very much for sharing your views; very helpful!!!!!

Blessings from Belle,

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Keith

You're right that we humans are incredibly complex organisms. Which is exactly why you don't need to introduce concepts like "auras" and "energy fields" to explain that a complex biology can explain.

Although it's interesting to look at what more the aura might be other than just a by product of our biology. The aura could be our soul's framework and much more than just electrical emanations of our cells. In which case there's a spiritual influence going on that is not based on our conditioning.

eg. I read/heard a brilliant description of procrastination the other day. There's something you want to avoid so your mind labels it "threat!". Then what do you do? You keep still while it gets closer and closer, and only when it's too close to avoid do you leap into action. It's a classic fight-or-flight response.

This is cool!

I actually think you're right, but where you say "aura" I would say "habituated subconscious self-preservation mechanism" or something (yours is catchier, I grant you .

Again, there's no need to ascribe to an external force that which is easily explained by the way our own brains are laid out.

We are more than what our brains have learned. We are spiritual being with a force around us - it's not external - it's our soul or higher self.

Some people find it easier than others to change because brains differ in what they've encoded as threats, and to what extent.

DirtSimple.org gave what I find a great description of the human mind: Conscious thought is a very recent addition in evolutionary terms. Your "subconscious mind" is a much more powerful and ancient brain that runs many tasks in parallel while your conscious mind can focus on only one.

Good thing we have habitual brains. I'm not sure about conscious thought any more. I see all thought as ego or interpretations of awareness, now a days. In other words "conscious thought" is not the consciousness of Being but the consciousness of ego that has separated and interpreted Being.

"You" (aka "the ego") are essentially a computer program running on the computer of the subconscious mind. You don't have direct control over your subconscious mind - that's not your role. You can also control your body's priorities in the short term, of course, but as you've noted the subconscious will exert constant pressure to retain homeostasis.

As far as the subconscious is concerned, you're not a commander, you're a filter subroutine. You're there to apply some logical filtering to your experiences as they're fed into the subconscious.

Filtering is also conditioned behavior. Our conscious awareness can only watch the filters repeat themselves and either let it be unconscious/unaware/habitual or actually engage with it as a conscious choice. The only choice our real self has is to be conscious or not. The logical filtering that you talk about is biased by conditioning anyway.

You don't control your subconscious by trying to order it about. You control it indirectly by choosing how to filter what you experience.

I don't think we get to filter. We get to pay attention to or not. Choosing how to filter, to me, sounds like trying to direct - which is like control. We can pay attention or not, that's it. I don't think we (as higher selves/pure awareness that we really are) actually generate thoughts. Thoughts are interpretations of being aware. Where one puts one's awareness is what kind of thoughts may start showing up.

That's probably why visualisation works so well - it's the most direct manner of choosing what the subconscious experiences.

It's not us choosing something, it's letting ourselves go into focusing in Being. The subconscious just records and matching where we have put awareness or what we have payed attention to. What we pay attention to is not something to choose - it just is. If I sit down to visualize I see that as my soul coming around to give me a vision, and my ego gets to think it's doing something but what's really happening is it's interpreting something the soul wanted to do through me.

Actually, it pretty much is a fact. Matter is a form of energy (E=MC^2). Thoughts are basically electricity propogated through the brain. It's all energy.

There also is an aura of electrical energy emanating from the human body - not spectacularly surprising given the amount of electrical signals constantly flowing through the human body.

I think it's more the other way around. Our bodies are held together by the framework of the aura. We are bodies of light first, then of mass and dense matter.

What is opinion is that the energy in the aura influences the thoughts. There's some reason to believe it might work the other way (and I'm speculating here) - that changes in brain activity would affect the emanation of electricity. I would also expect changes in biochemistry to affect the emanation of electricity (for example, if you were fighting off an infection). But it seems unlikely that a electricity field that's being emanated by the body and dissipating into space would retain anything independent of the body emitting it.

There's electrical activity and there's our etheric self that is a framework for matter.

You weren't asking me but IMO, beliefs are clusters of subconscious memory patterns and thoughts are transient signals that pass through the consciousness. Thoughts are analogous to data currently being processed in the CPU while beliefs are analogous to clusters of data stored on the hard drive. (It's not a perfect analogy because the subconscious isn't passive storage - it's also a pattern matching system).

Beliefs aren't directly accessed by consciousness - they're far too big. Instead, experiences trigger responses from the subconscious that are influenced by the belief patterns. For example, you see a dog walking towards you. Depending on what generalised patterns have been encoded in your subconscious it might spit out "A dog! Flee!" or "Aw, how cute!".

It makes sense to me that beliefs would be chemical (for long term storage) and thoughts electrical, but that's speculation.

Beliefs then are habits in this description you give. Which I tend to agree with. That's why it's better to not believe anything because then you'd be free of the conditioned mind and have tons more awareness in play. To change a belief or long standing mental habit is not really necessary. What is, is to become aware of what you are doing habitually. Awareness is the first step. Like they say for addictions - first admit there's something wrong, which is to say you realize that you are doing something that doesn't work. Then you can step into Being and the habit becomes less important to keep doing (if your awareness of it points out how it doesn't work too well for you).

caveat: I responded as if I believe what I wrote - I'm more about just writing where I think our being comes from. Which is just a concept as well and not truth, per say. Just trying on an interpretation. speculating as if...

[Jason S]

There is a lot of good discussion going on here... much of which is a little beyond me. I don't know from auras and energy fields; but I do know an excuse when I see one. Angela had it right when she said "100% responsibility;" it's that simple. 100% responsibility will get you to a successful outcome, IF you are emotionally connected to that outcome, IF you have the courage to take the risks that will be required, and IF you truly buy into personal responsibility... which most of us don't, regardless of what we say. We, as humans, are very good at kidding ourselves. Like when we say that we can't get from here to there because our negative aura works against us.

People kid themselves in a lot of different ways; I explored some of my experiences with them on my blog in a post about--what else?--personal responsibility. I think it makes sense to reference it here. This isn't technical, it isn't scientific, and it isn't metaphysical. It is simple logic, laid atop multiple observations and real world experience. I might be wrong, and if someone can disconfirm my observations, I'd like to hear it.

[Keith]

Wolfgang, mostly "agree to disagree" stuff here. Just a couple of clarifications:

Originally Posted by wolfgang

I don't think we get to filter. We get to pay attention to or not. Choosing how to filter, to me, sounds like trying to direct - which is like control. We can pay attention or not, that's it.

The conscious mind has control, but only over itself not over the entire mind. The trouble comes when the conscious mind assumes that it has absolute authority. But the subconscious definitely listens to the conscious mind. The subconscious doesn't obey direct commands from the conscious mind, but it observes how the conscious mind is thinking and reacting and incorporates that into its worldview.

BTW, note that the conscious mind can certainly bypass the subconscious and directly command the body. However, the subconscious is a lot more powerful and stubborn so working against its intents is counterproductive in the long run.

Originally Posted by wolfgang

Beliefs then are habits in this description you give.

Almost. I would say that beliefs are stored patterns of interpretation while habits are stored patterns of behaviour. But habits certainly reinforce beliefs and vice versa.

Originally Posted by wolfgang

That's why it's better to not believe anything because then you'd be free of the conditioned mind and have tons more awareness in play. To change a belief or long standing mental habit is not really necessary. What is, is to become aware of what you are doing habitually. Awareness is the first step.

This is a perspective that may have some validity. I find it appealing myself.

Interestingly, I suspect that this translates to developing a subconscious habit of turning control over to the conscious mind (or perhaps working in tandem?) by establishing a belief system that this is an appropriate way to go. ie. Rather than trying to dominate the subconscious, the conscious mind gradually convinces it to hand over some control.

[Keith]

Update:

I found that article I referred to. It's at: Backpedalling Your Brain (dirtSimple.org)

Nick Pagan also appears to have written an ebook based on the premise at http://www.nickpagan.com/blog/wp-con...fectly-v10.pdf