You're a Catalyst to Your Own Happiness

How often have you thought about this? Steven Covey said, "You carry your own weather" Ghandi told us, "To BE the change you want to see in the world." Well, I'm here to tell you this is absolutely true. YOU are creating all that you have. One of the great privileges of being a human being is your ability to create. Whether you are consciously or unconsciously creating is the point these people were making. You can consciously create the life you want and watch the creation process happen or you can unconsciously create an average life and be like most people. Most people rarely see that they are living in a reality created by their internal thoughts, emotions, and vision for themselves. Most people don't internalize the power they actually have to be what ever they want to be and live an unfulfilling, unproductive life. So, how does this work? How are you a Catalyst to Your Own Happiness? Let's start at the beginning with thoughts and ideas. Most of us know that thoughts turn into emotions. I cannot feel happy unless I first had the thought to do so. The thing many don't know is that we have two different minds or two different parts to our mind. One part is aware and conscious of what we're thinking. The other is unconscious and runs in the background. If we were relating these concepts to a computer, the conscious mind would be the app that we see and interact with and the subconscious mind is all of the underlying things that are happening to make that app work and to create performance. Our subconscious minds have two different kinds of software. The first is called firmware. The firmware is automatically installed as life enters the body in the womb of it's mother. It controls heartbeat, breath, temperature, digestion, elimination, and so on. This firmware is vital to the life of our mind and body. When the firmware malfunctions it usually means, at the least, a doctor's visit, at most, death of the physical body and mind. It's main function is to keep you alive and things running. It's always running in the background and is the instinctual side of the unconscious mind. Thankfully we do not have to think about each breath in order to make it happen. The second type of software the subconscious mind uses are applications or programs. These programs vary as widely as the apps in the app store. If you are in the app store you can find programs to help you remember to water your plants, keep to your training program, learn to read music, create a list for books, connect to an online community, and so on... The programs I would like to focus on are the ones we use to relate to others. The relating to others programs are typically downloaded early in our lives. These programs are installed and used every day and shape who we are. We tried different programs for getting what we wanted when we were younger and found ones that got the job done. Keep in mind the mind wants to keep you alive and comfortable. Tantrums and power struggles with children are examples of them trying new programs to see what will get them what they want. The class clown most likely has a program that he or she uses that says, "I can get people to laugh by sticking pencils up my nose or telling jokes or making fun of someone else or burping in class." They usually learn or download this program early in life because their family responded positively to that program. What about the teacher's pet? This person's programming tells them that they'll be happy and please other people if they support the authority figure. They have downloaded the program and it runs, typically no matter the authority figure and keeps them alive and comfortable. Ah yes, staying alive and being comfortable. Have you noticed to what lengths your mind will go to help you stay alive and comfortable? Fear and embarrassment are good indicators of how much control you have over your mind and programs. If you are afraid to do things that are, in reality, not going to kill you. You can see how your mind is exerting every effort to protect you. Singing a solo in front of a large crowd of people, is that likely to kill you? Nope. It will however embarrass you if you're unprepared and most likely that embarrassment will trigger the fear program. When the fear program is triggered, you subconsciously run the program. The butterflies start to flutter, the heart starts to beat faster, you start blushing, and so on. Well, just like our computer or phone software and firmware need updates, so does the software and firmware in our mind. Many of our early programs don't serve us when we're adults and they need upgrades. We get a chance to upgrade every morning, when we boot up our mental computer, and many of us miss it. We get chances to upgrade our programming when our feeling arise during the day, and many of us miss it. We get chances to upgrade, in all truthfulness, any time we want, but many of us don't take them. Why? Why don't we take them? Why do we miss them? There are a few reasons. One reason is that we don't know that we are running these old programs and can upgrade them. Well, we didn't know, until now. If we're unaware of what's happening, then how can we make changes? Watch out for denial here, you may have a program that defends you from anyone saying anything about you needing to change. Another reason is that we're unsure of how to upgrade it. Upgrading might sound like a novel idea, but how do you really do it? Another reason people miss the opportunity, is that they choose not to take it. If you're in an argument with someone, you can either let the program run, or choose a different course, one that you've never run. Sadly, many don't choose another way and they let those programs run day in and day out. This is the definition of being reactive. When something comes at you, you run the standard program and are hardly aware of it. It is almost completely subconscious. Sometimes the conscious mind will become aware of the situation during the situation long enough to realize that it's not in control. If you've ever driven the same long road more than a few times, you've got a program. Sometimes you'll "awake" in the middle of it and realize were you are, this is your conscious mind checking in. It seems the older we get the more we take advantage of the programs and live at a subconscious level. If our days are routine and uneventful, we are usually unconscious for most of them. The opposite of reactive is responsive. To make the changes in your programming and, as a result, life, you'll need to learn to be more responsive. This will be a new program for you. It is a program that can be installed and used. Learning the responsive program takes time and can be very challenging to learn, this means it takes practice. Becoming a practitioner of responsiveness is so very worth it. Here's how you do it... Get uncomfortable. When you wake up, what is your first program? For most American's today, it's to either pull their phone toward them and check email, social media, sports scores, stock prices, etc... or it's to go to the bathroom and take a look in the mirror. It's time to change these programs. Why? They're not serving you or your ability to be happy. In order to be responsive, you need to be present. Present means, not looking back (at what happened last night while you were sleeping), and not looking forward (checking the weather, going through your mental to do list). Present means present. Right here, in this second, right now. The best way to keep your mind in the present is to listen to your breath. It is going in and out and keeping you alive right now. Right now. IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. Before you go on with your day, you can start in the moment and be in the moment right now. Practice being conscious right when you waken each morning. This will probably make your mind uncomfortable. It will want to get busy running your programs. It will want you to think about the past, it will want to create discomfort in your body so you have to move. Your job is to quiet your mind, every time it wanders and listen to your body breathing air into it and out of it for one whole minute. One minute, that's all. Look at the clock, turn your eyes up to the ceiling again, close them, and listen to your breath in and out for one minute. Your mind will probably freak out about how long a minute is. Just quiet it by reminding it you're listening to your breath and keep it up. If you're doing it right, about 15 seconds in, your mind is thinking about something else. Remind it that right now you're listening to your breath and keep it up. After a minute passes, go ahead and tell your body thank you for breathing for you and stand up, avoiding the mirror and do what your mind wants to do. That's one simple safe way to take back your mind and become responsive. Another way is to spend one extra minute in front of the mirror. Here's what you do... Before looking in the mirror, straighten your bed head hair, rub your palms together to create some heat and then place them on your eyes. Hold them there until they cool off. Then look in the mirror. While looking in the mirror, notice what your mind is telling you. Is it pointing out your flaws or your strengths. Is your mind building your confidence or breaking it down. Most people step in front of the mirror and the critical voices of their thoughts come in and tell them how horrible they are, how much weight they need to lose, that they have bags under their eyes, that they should've gone to bed earlier, they should've done this or done that. It may even come up with "helpful" ideas to "get back on track." Listening to these voices is a reactive behavior and one that needs to stop today. These things don't serve you. They don't engender feelings of love or happiness. You can combat this negativity by smiling at yourself. When the voices try to come in, listen to your breath, and smile. Appreciate you beautiful smile. It is unique, just like you. It brings light and warmth into the world. Just smile. Stand and smile at yourself for a whole minute. At first it will probably be a shy smile. A smile that is uncertain about whether or not this is ok. I mean, smiling at yourself might kill you, right? NO! Don't listen to the old programs that are trying to keep you alive and comfortable. They don't want you to be embarrassed and they don't want you to be afraid. I promise though, after you reprogram this morning ritual into your life, your mind will never want to go back. Your goal over time, is to be able to see the beauty of your soul, to drop the physical away and see your spirit smiling back at you. To see you as God sees you. It can happen and your mind can like it, if it's given the chance. What if? The voices don't quiet. What if they don't go away? There are a couple of things you can try to help you focus and I'll list them below. If the voices don't go away after trying these things, that's ok. We just need an additional tactic. These techniques empower you, and if the voices don't quiet, you also need to find a way to release the negative feelings associated with the programs. The uninstall needs to be more physical. To illustrate, on your computer, you have old programs you never open or use, right? No harm done right? For some that's true. If you have two calculator programs it's not likely that the one you never use is going to affect your computer all that much. If you never open it and never access it, then it's just going to take up space. Some programs are more involved than that. Some run in the background slowing down the computer and taking up space. You can probably already see where I'm going with this right? Some programs are old and were very useful to you. Your mind would access them in the background just in case the situation arose that you needing it, always keeping it available. These programs often took space in your mind and even controlled your emotions. These are large bulky programs that, once removed, will free up space in your mind and heart. Your mind doesn't want to get rid of this program or the emotions associated with it because, to your mind, this is a matter of life or death. If you don't have this program, you'll die. Unfortunately, that is incorrect information. There are many ways to release or uninstall these old bulky programs and make room for new faster, more efficient, programs. Think of going from Internet Explorer to Chrome or from AOL to Gmail. Both programs in each scenario do the same thing, one is just updated and more efficient. It provides the data right before or right after the feeling actually hits. The other aspect of the mind is the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind takes in 100 times more data than the conscious mind and is responsible for running our installed software. You know, the software that determines how many beats your heart beats per minute. The software that helps you digest. The software that

Who Says Life Has To Be Hard?

I've been pondering and meditating this question for awhile now and I don't believe them. I've heard people say it, "Life is Hard". Usually it's in a placating way, like I get it, I know it's hard but we're going to have to sludge through it anyway. Well, I dispute that! I wholeheartedly unagree! I believe we have challenging situations, yes, and I believe we are given things we don't understand, oh yeah, and I believe that hard things happen, wholeheartedly, but I don't believe life is hard.

I believe life is short.

I believe life is beautiful.

I believe life is what you make it and I choose to make it easy.

You know, we've probably all heard that our feelings turn into our thoughts and our thoughts turn into action and we're off and rolling. Well, those initial feelings really turn on pre-set programs of thoughts and those pre-set programs in our subconscious really guide our actions. So often we are completely oblivious to our feelings that we live the rest of our lives on autopilot. We're triggered by something without even noticing and the auto responder kicks in and BAM! You've eaten 10 cookies and find yourself watching you're 3rd episode of a really lame show that you know you would've never wasted your time on if you had been present and responsive instead of unconscious and reactive.

This blog is intended to help us all to become more alive and true. More appreciative of life and all of the beauty it holds because hey, when you can see that... Life Can Be Easy!!