Contradictory Beliefs

When you say "me", what is this 'me' we are talking about? It is your mind. It is your thoughts. It is your beliefs.  What beliefs? Mainly, your ideas about all kinds of stuff, such as the world, other people but, most of all, about yourself. You may entertain  one of these contradictory beliefs:

* I am good. or I’m not good enough. 

* I am capable. or I’m not up to the job.  

* People like me. or People are against me. 

* The world is basically good. or The world is an ugly mess.

* I can be successful. or I’m usually a failure. (Some people even

  wear T-shirts with the caption “Born to lose”. Isn’t this pathetic?)

These are the two basic aspects of the most deeply-rooted human thoughts. They have been labeled as either Positive or Negative Thinking. Which is the one that better reflects your attitude?

Clinging

Clinging can be not such a good thing. If you are about to fall and cling to a support, that's good. But you may tend to cling to a lot more things. You overwork - and neglect other important parts of your life - because you can't get rid of the conviction that only money can make you feel secure. You are growing old and can't accept the changes that are inevitably going to transform your physical appearance. So you look for all possible ways to stop the ageing process because you believe that keeping young is a must in today's world. You are unhappy with you partner but you can't get out of the relationship because you are convinced that being alone will make you feel miserable. Fear of losing security, youth, companionship (all things that may not last forever anyway) are a few of the things that make you "cling".

A Puzzling Thought

Quantum physics tells you that reality is created by your thoughts. This means that only when you focus on something, does this become 'matter'. Therefore, if you are unaware of something, this does not exist for you. It makes sense, doesn't it? So, how come that you are impacted by situations that do not depend on your thoughts or willpower? This happens because such situations were created by someone else's focus and, as "all is one" (= the quantum field includes all possibilities) their reality impacts on yours as well. All is connected and all is affected by  everyone's thoughts, feelings, desires and actions. What an interesting way of interpreting the world and Life itself! Doesn't this reflection convince you? Fair enough. Whatever you choose to believe - or not to believe -  becomes "your" reality. 

Pre-judice

If you are very tall, don't you feel that everybody else is short? But, on the other hand, if you are not so, you might feel that most people are almost giants. Similarly, an overweight person is overly sensitive and touchy about any conversation that revolves around weight. What you see in others, what you like or dislike in them doesn't therefore depend on what that person (or thing) actually is. It is  rather connected to the way "you" yourself are and to the way you consequently judge the reality you come in contact with. If you wear colored glasses, you will see the world according to the color of the lenses. If you are wise, whenever you wear the lenses of prejudice, you'd better discard them because - although you might believe you are being fair and impartial - it is always a "pre-judice", generated by what you have accepted to believe as true. If you remove them, you will see how the world really is.  

The Right 'Role"

Nowadays it seems that "roles" are not taken into serious consideration. Often people refuse to be who they are supposed to be. "Who says who they should be?" you may ask. No one, actually. It's just the situation one person finds themselves in that should lead them towards the right behavior. If you know that a friend needs your attention and sympathy, take the time to give them attention and sympathy. Listen carefully, without interrupting, without trying to talk about your own experience or starting to give advice when it is not requested.

We should all endeavor to remember that the wisest thing to do, in whatever situation, is to simply do what is requested of us, what we can do to be of service to others, rather than to always try to show that we are... the best. We are not, and we shall never be. 

Clearer View

Time might come when you think that life is awfully difficult. You are faced with a problem that is very hard for you to accept, to process, to believe that it will get solved in a peaceful way. Everything around you seems to be crumbling down, you cannot understand how this could happen, just when it seemed that every piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. It's like a heavy brick falling on your head - unexpectedly. Is there anything that can be done to deal with such a situation? It's certainly not easy to detect, but there must be, because it seems that there is no problem without a solution. But Einstein said that you cannot solve a problem if you stay on the same level as the problem itself. Therefore, all you can do is try to raise yourself above such contingency and hope that, from up there, you can see more clearly. A better view might give you a better understanding.

Believing

One question: is something "true" because it is a common belief, or because 'you' believe it? You might like to try this: check one of the things that you say you are certain of and ask yourself where this certitude comes from. Is it something that others say they have experienced, or they have the proof of, or it's an ancient dictum...? What do 'you' actually know about it? What do you 'feel' about it? Does such belief make sense or does it simply make you comfortable? Or does it help you avoid thinking about it or trying to find an answer for yourself? Many a times you may prefer to relay on others to give you 'answers' because it's easier, it costs no effort. But...does this really fulfill your natural need to 'know'?

Who Are You?

How would you answer the question: Who are you? You would most  probably answer by mentioning your first and last name, your profession, you would mention your role in your family (father, mother...) and so on. You may give details about your position in the world, some ways to identify what is your part or function on the stage of the present reality. But...imagine to drop all those definitions (name, profession etc.), what is left? Your 'ego'? Your 'self'? And what is the difference between the two? And what are they, actually? If you think that such mental/philosophical exercise could be useful or simply interesting, go ahead and do it. Otherwise, just smile with condescendence and do something else, something 'real & practical'.

Spending Time

How do you spend your time? It is common knowledge that time should not be wasted. "Wasting", in general, does not convey a positive impression because it indicates a meaningless action, carelessness, having no purpose, useless or profitless activity. Here a question arises: what is a meaningful action, the one that should be pursued? It is usually understood as an action that is useful, that has a specific purpose, that yields a beneficial result. Therefore the main goal of "not" wasting time should be the achievement of something (physical or mental) 'productive'. I wonder if spending time in a rewarding way could also be - at times - just enjoying what you feel like doing (watching TV, idling around, napping, daydreaming, etc.), without worrying about its 'usefulness', without being accused of 'wasting' it. Just for a moment, forget all you are told and...simply do what you are inclined toward. It's your life, spend it the way "you" like it.

Rain or Sunshine?

When it rains, you may feel gloomy or happy. If you have been longing for sunshine, seeing a cloudy sky and wet weather depresses you. On the other hand, if you have witnessed a long period of draught, a rainfall is a blessing and you feel grateful for it. This is an example of how the 'meaning' of an outside situation totally depends on how "you" perceive it. In fact, the rain just "is", period. It's neither good nor bad. It's only an atmospheric phenomenon. But... as in England it's a daily occurrence, the day the sun shines is worth celebrating. In the Sahara, though, where sunshine reigns all year long, a rainfall is considered a blessing. Once a farmer - being the weather very unpredictable - was asked about his forecast for the following day. He answered, "We'll have the weather I like". He didn't mind whatever kind of weather would actually materialize. Excellent philosophy of life, I believe.

Afraid of Change

Life is what it is and most times you feel that it will always continue being this way, with no change, no improvement, no exciting surprises. Once in a while, though, you have a glimpse of new 'stuff' that might happen, you think that something might actually change and – just for an instant – you feel full of excitement and enthusiasm. But soon after, you plunge back into your usual unadventurous mood. A possible explanation could be that you fear that something bad might happen: you lose your job, your partner leaves you, there may be an accident etc. These are all possible thoughts that can tarnish your optimism. Be bold and ask yourself, “Do I believe that life has in store something new for me?” If your sincere answer is 'Yes', examine what this might be: Something better (what?) Something worse (what? why?)