Mindful Corrections

In my last post, I talked about ‘Mind Viruses’ and ‘Excuses’ and what I hope became clear is that we have the power to change ourselves if we accept that we need to change. It’s not the easiest of roads to travel but it is a necessary journey if we want to reach out to our highest and develop the best versions of ourselves.

Solving the Problems

As Carl Jung put it,

“Our most important problems cannot be solved; they must be outgrown”.

Think of Yourself Like a Tree

A seed is planted and eventually it grows into a tree that when mature enough will blossom. When the fruit starts pushing through, the blossom falls away and the fruit ripens. Blossom, fruit, ripen, repeat; and so, the tree keeps growing and maturing.

Of course, the tree will need sunlight and rain too.

Are We So Different?

After birth, our carers nurture us and provide the best instruction they can offer to help us grow and mature as we navigate the twists and turns of life. Eventually we blossom and the fruits of our labor form until one day we realize that all is not the way we prefer. We notice that some of the things we’ve been taught don’t sit well and we challenge the circle that has become our life.

The rainy days test our thinking; sunlight brings out the good things and the ah ha moments.

Power to The People

Way back I became a revolutionary. No, I didn’t wish to change the thinking on planet earth, just my small corner and I attempted to do this as a trade union representative at the company I worked for. My goal was to enable a voice for the people. I never once considered that what I was doing was challenging the lessons that had been imparted by family and the wider society. Really, I was trying to change other people rather than opting to look at finding ways to grow different types of fruit on my tree.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself”. (Rumi)

I had a basket full of mind virus fruits and ready-made excuses and didn’t see that I needed to change my thinking; the problems were out there, not in here. I needed to outgrow my programming and need to use excuses.

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking”. (Albert Einstein)

That brought about some stormy days and my tree was shaken until some of the excuses and virus-like fruits dropped off and started rotting. A few were rotting on the tree and they caused no end of strife in my life until I discovered ways to prune them by changing my thinking.

A lot of time and effort went in to make the person I was and to convince me that I needed to fit in and be like everyone else

“We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it” (Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?).

Keeping Us in Check

Here’s a few examples you might recognize:

  • Do it like this or you’ll never amount to anything
  • You’re worthless
  • You could be smarter
  • You can never be good enough
  • Money is hard to come by and we don’t have enough
  • Doing it like that you will never succeed
  • It’s in your genes
  • Follow the rules or fall behind

“You can’t stop the future. You can’t rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret is to press play” (Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why).

Press Play

When I discovered something called Social Education back in a galaxy far, far away (AKA Personal Development) I found the play button and started to become aware of the changes I needed to make in my life. I work at least 20-minutes each day on this and I’m not done yet. It’s a life’s work. Time and commitment are nothing compared to the benefits.

Some ‘To Do’ Lists Never Change

  • Work at becoming aware of your potential for greatness
  • Nurture the power of your mind
  • Align your thinking with the needs of your higher-self
  • Live in the present in mind and body
  • Think about who and what you are. Not what you want to become
  • Allow happiness, health and success to flow into your life
  • Share the love and share the passion toward everyone and everything that flows into your life
  • Be compassionate by wanting more for others than you do for yourself

Affirming Your Greatness

You can accomplish anything you choose if you align it with your true-self because you are worthy and valuable. A degree or PhD isn’t a pre-requisite to be intellectually capable because you are that already and can become better with practice. You deserve the best life has to offer and can attract abundance into your life. Happiness, health and success are not reserved for the few, they are there for you too. People love you and you must love yourself and allow that to guide you to serve others rather than following the rules that no longer serve. You are unique and independent of the good, bad or indifferent opinions of others.

Toolbox

We need a box of tools to challenge our limits and move forward toward success. If you feel that you may benefit from help, please leave your contact details in the comments section below and you will be contacted by your preferred method. Please understand that your contact details will never be published and your privacy is assured.

Comments and Questions

Please leave yours below. Your thoughts or questions may well ignite a positive spark in other readers thinking. You will always receive a prompt response to your questions and there is no such thing as a bad question; only the one that was never asked.

I wish you a wonderful and successful day.

Peace & Light

Steve Costello is a British Community & Youth Studies and Psychology honors graduate with over 30-years theoretical and practical experience in the Personal Development public and private sectors. He founded ExGro in 2018 with business partner, friend and clinical psychologist, Leo Faerberg.

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