Suppose I were to ask you to assume that believing is everything. Suppose that it does make a difference what you believe. What if you were to believe that your mind creates the world you live in, the kind of day you have, and the life you live. Suppose that there is no reality, only perception. What if the outside world responds directly to the way you think?
What if your body reacts to the way you think about it? If this is possible, don’t you want to try it out and see for yourself?
Before you can believe that anything is possible in your life and that you can and do create what you experience in your reality, a few points must be made about the ability for objectivity to exist at all, or at least to be observed by humans.
Four people looking up at the clouds will see four different patterns in the sky. One may see a giant riding in a carriage, while anther may see a giraffe. We recognize in this situation that what each person sees is subjective. Based on that person’s needs and interests. On the other hand, we realize that the cloud is actually a floating mass of water vapor. That’s what we call objective reality.
From an early age we are taught the difference between objective and subjective. Subjective is what we feel, what we wish for, or fear. Subjective is our personal point of view. Objective is what is really there. The plain truth. Knowing the difference between objective reality and subjective belief is the basis of sound mental health. The obvious truth is fundamental to our upbringing and to our world view. To contradict that will cause confusion, elicit fears, and cause objections. Nevertheless, let it be said, there is no objective reality, only subjective experience.
I have examined Edgar Cayce’s metaphysical model that explains the source of this subjectivity. Edgar Cayce lived in the late 1800’s. To this day, he was the world’s most accurately documented psychic. It states physical reality is the by product of the mind’s
mental patterns giving form to the one single energy of creation. In practical terms this means, the thoughts a person entertains, shape the experiences he encounters. Cayce was fond of quoting proverbs, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” If he were alive today he might quote the Beatles “What’s within you is without you.” Or my personal favorite, “You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.” Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV.4.5
Our expectations, our beliefs and even the thoughts and language we use to understand our world determine what we experience. We see what we understand. Which is why “I see” and I understand” mean the same thing. Each person’s experience is subjective, a personal point of view. There is no other reality.
We may regard science as the ultimate in human objectivity. It is a questionable assumption. Science is governed by the same expectancy principle, because human beings practice science. If we question the purpose of any scientist, we know that behind
their instruments and methodologies is the same subjectivity as in any other area of the human experience. This subjectivity shows up in the scientist’s expectations, purposes, and attitudes.
In my practice of hypnotherapy and healing I have seen many people transform their lives, bodies and health, simply by changing their beliefs and the language they use. What you have to do is first become aware of your thoughts. Notice how you talk to
yourself and others. Look for a theme. Is it positive or negative? Here are some of the ways positive thinking can help you. First, I believe and have seen in my own life, how a person will see what he wants to see, through his own filter of understanding. In other words, what he is looking for he will find. If you focus on the negative in life, you will perceive life as depressing. If you focus on the positive you will experience life as joyful.
One way to detach from negativity is to stop watching the news. Try it for 6 weeks. Just don’t watch the news. See how you feel. I wonder if you would be less informed than anyone else? I wonder what else you would have time to engage in? Why do we watch the news anyway? Is it because it is so informative or just because it is what “grown ups” do? Is it because it makes us feel better or worse? Have you ever noticed how fear based and negative the news usually is? I personally know that there are a lot more positive things going on in our world than what they show us. I know this because I have made it a point to be positive and look for the positive happenings in my world as much as I can. I choose to be with other people who share this belief and we enjoy our lives and make positive impacts on our communities, but I‘ve yet to see any of these deeds or people on the news.
If you focus on what you can change instead of what you can’t, you will notice a sense of authentic control. Most of us worry because we feel afraid of everything we can’t change. We try to control things outside of ourselves when we feel afraid. Try shifting your focus to yourself. You are the only thing you can control. One solution is to practice connecting to your Higher Self. This is the part of ourselves that has no ego. The part that is not able to judge, rationalize or justify. It understands and thinks like God thinks, that things just are what they are. It is the part that is connected to the Oneness of the Universe and everything in it. The very needed, misunderstood and undervalued part, that is the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is sometimes called, Higher Self or Soul Mind.
A few ways to access this part of ourselves is through meditation, self hypnosis, and prayer. It can also be used very practically in every day life simply by being aware that it is useful and calling on it during times of stress or misunderstanding. You will see how these exercises can give you a sense of peacefulness and surrender. I wonder if control is merely an illusion? I have found that surrendering to a Higher Power works much better than attempting to control a situation. Try it and see for yourself next time you are struggling to figure out how to make something happen.
Another way to summon a deeper change in attitude is to practice kindness and gratitude. It has been found in research studies that kindness raises serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is the brain’s natural feel good drug, so to speak. It has been proven that a person giving an act of kindness has their serotonin levels raised. The person receiving the kindness has theirs raised, and even a person just witnessing the kindness will have theirs raised. I don't believe there is a drug that can bring about this same serotonin-raising phenomenon in two separate individuals at the same moment in time, but I would not be surprised if there was a pharmaceutical company working on that one right now.
Practicing the act of gratitude or keeping a gratitude journal will shift your focus from what you lack to what you have, therefore shifting your focus on happiness and abundance. It is best to find something new to be grateful for and a new act of kindness each day. I recommend three new things a day to start. These things do not have to be done on a grand scale. Simple is all it takes.
Usually, you can change your life in a matter of months, if you are willing to be honest with yourself about what is working and what isn’t. Change takes time, but it starts with a thought. Be mindful of how you talk to yourself. Be kind and loving in your thoughts and watch how the world responds to your new way of being.
