The Conditioning

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Try to watch your thoughts in a day and observe how they run.  Check how much of those run positive and its opposite.  You see, I run company values formation series of trainings and I found out how much of participants thoughts are consumed by negatives. 

Looking back to how we were brought up, our experiences would point to how we were conditioned to think that way. 

1.       Do’s and don’ts at home

2.      You will fail if you will not study

3.      Be careful not to hurt yourself when you play

4.      You will be punished if you will come home late

5.      You are not as smart as your brother / sister

6.      You won’t amount to anything

7.      The weather is so hot, so cold,

8.      The day is so gloomy

9.      You look aweful

10.  With all the complains that we hear from our parents

(…and many more)

I am currently re-shaping that conditioning.  I am into a conscious effort and process of distressing my past such that I catch my negative thoughts as they occur.  I do my small assignment everyday and look back at each day how it happened.  I start correcting them immediately as they occur or at the end of the day when I do my review.

What is my point?  Behavior is a reflection of what goes in the mind.  The more we think negative, the more we attract the same and do likewise.  I have read several books already regarding this topic.  My experience also could validate these statements.

In fact the more I refocus and rechart the flow of my thought, the more I experience its positive impact and change in my life. 

Thinking positive is an art and it is grace to be able to sustain that.  In fact without it, thoughts bombarded and invaded by all negative in a day cannot withstand.  How do we get that grace? 

Let me give an indirect answer.  One time in one of my distressing activities with my trainees, I made them rest on the mat they brought with them.  I instructed them to close their eyes and to simply relax and follow my instructions and leadings.  I visualized them engaging in a very positive and relaxing experience that some of them just dozed off to sleep due to a very relaxed mode.  After the 30-minute exercise, the woke up so rested and relaxed radiating such positive disposition. 

They asked me how much time I gave them for such activity.  They were quite astonished learning that they only did that for 30 minutes.  They could not believe the short span of time spent in the activity.  But yes, they did it only for that amount of time. 

What I made them undergo was contemplation and meditation combined.  The exercise/s led them to centering and silencing of the self devoid of their daily concerns and the heavy contents of the sharings prior to that activity that was consumed by all painful experiences they have. 

Whether contemplation or meditation, they are  free.  It is such an easy access in a day.  It is made available to everyone.  Something like a free charging and recharging or our spiritual energy in a day.  If done on a daily basis can relax our brains, nerves, cells or our body and detaches us from the loudest voices and restlessness of the human heart.

Just how you do both?    Let me describe a simple process contemplation:

1.  Visualize a comfortable place or any part of nature and creation in your imagination (mountain, seaside, etc....go places that relaxes...you may engage in biblical scenes or events)

2.  Stay in that place and be part of the characters and converse with any character or perhaps with Jesus)

3.  Stay focused relaxed and just through the process

4.  You will have the message in the silence of your heart

5.  You may time yourself (20 - 30 minutes)

(from experience these relaxes the mind and heart)

 For meditation, you may do the following : 

1.  Close your eyes

2.  Focus on breathing in and out

3.  Resist the temptation to think

4.  Use a positive word for a mantra (repetitively said) such as

-         Peace, Love, Unity, healing, Father , Son, Spirit, God, Abba, etc.

Doing the above exercise on meditation for just few minutes – 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.  increasing its time everytime will bring in reshaping, relaxing, redirecting of thoughts, health and wellbeing, reconnecting with Source  - our God and many more good things that can be attracted to our lives.  Just a new and rejuvenated life is the most beautiful output it can produce.  From the most negative of the conditioning of our childhood years to a more positive views and outlook with life. 

Hop in and join me in this wonderful journey of deepening ourselves by shunning the negative flow of thoughts to a more joyful life of positive, grace-filled and a whole mind creating a beautiful partnership with our beautiful heart (In fact emotions are processed in our mind too…surprised?...i hope not).

PS.  Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, author of the book entitled, The Power of Intention, says that 17 seconds of pure positive thoughts is equivalent to 17,000 hours of work.