One of the hardest things in the world is to think what you want to think instead of what you’re used to thinking. And our happiness depends entirely upon what we think.
[success] It’s not more knowledge, it’s not more education, it’s not more facts that we need. It’s a better use of what we already have that we need to have. You have, each and every one of you, within your potential power right now to do a wonderful job in your chosen field – if you would only embrace it and use it. ~ Napoleon Hill.[/success]
Em was hooked. I remember that feeling. The day I discovered and began to practice using the laws of life on purpose. It was exhilarating, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. Hey everyone, you can do this too. It’s fantastic. We can change the world…the Universe. Yep, overly enthusiastic that’s me.
Em too had discovered that life worked according to laws – it was exact, it didn’t take holidays, it didn’t pick and choose who it would work for, it didn’t stay in bed or hide under the covers because it felt a bit blah today, it simply worked, in exactly the same way for everyone. She had found the core, the cause of her reality and it was her imagination, her connection to the consciousness that created the whole shooting match.
It was exciting…the way of imagination was definitely for her, and she needed to know more. So she went to every seminar that came her way, every class that someone suggested and listened to cd’s and watched videos and practiced.
She wasn’t exactly practicing using the laws of consciousness, she was practicing the various and different techniques that had been suggested at each and every seminar, at each and every class.
Em had a dream board, which she was constantly redoing, a creation box, which needed attention, pictures on her mirror – she had to pay attention to them daily. She used affirmations, hypnotherapy, wrote a dream list, which needed to be read every day, vizualized, and journelled. Deep breath. She had a gratitude list, also requiring daily reading, spoke to herself in the mirror, contemplated, acknowledged, did segmenting. More. She set intentions, studied Abraham Hicks, Tony Robbins, The Silva Method, Ramtha, and a host of other gurus.
Nothing wrong with any of this you might say. And you’d be right.
Trouble was, she was overwhelmed. Her head was spinning. She was trying to put into practice every single solitary technique she’d learned and she felt as though she was going to explode. It had become far too complicated.
[success] “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” ~ Albert Einstein[/success]
Em had been substituting tips and techniques for the creative use of her imagination. I’m a big supporter of tips and techniques, as you can read here or here. And all over the place on this blog truth be told. Tips and techniques are a helpful part of helping us to create new habits. But discrimination is key. Allow the winds of change to blow softly into your life.
Being comes first. And being simply means having and keeping in conscious awareness all that we want, all that we desire.
Where do you go to when you’re alone in your head? What thoughts do you have, how do you feel? This is the essence of conscious living. This is our beingness.
Tools and techniques are fabulous and have their place in supporting us to achieve our goals, but for her, they took over, they became the thing itself. And in her desire to practice the tips and techniques, Em was losing sight of her true and genuine desire…to be the one she desired to be.
The late, great Steven Covey talked about beginning with the end in mind and I would add we need to keep that end in mind throughout our journey so we can stay on track and not get distracted, even by the very things that are intended to support our success. No sirreee, I’ve never done anything like that.
It begins and ends within. It’s our consciousness that creates our reality, and the tips and techniques are the tools, not the thing.
There’s a place within each of us that’s connected to something greater, something beyond us. The time we spend there keeps us focused and on track, allowing, us to stay clear of distractions while refreshing our spirit. From there, we can be discriminating as to what tool, tip or technique will be useful in any given situation.
And, please I beg you, don’t use them all at once. Overload. Overwhelm.
Your desire might be for an improvement in your finances, your health, your relationship, or a deeper understanding of the mysteries of life. The desire is up to you, and the place to begin is within, before choosing a particular technique to help you.
By all means be an information gatherer…but create the foundation first and add the techniques to support it later. Your inner conversation is the breeding ground for your future. And the foundation stone for building your life is your imagination, the connection to the source of all creation. Use it wisely, use it well and then:
[success] Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet. – Franz Kafka.[/success]
Wish I’d said that.
Encourage one another.
Love Elle
xoxo
Photo credits:
h.koppdelaney
15 Comments
Beautifully written Elle. Very important point.
Thank you,
Dan Garner
http://Zenpresence.com
And thank you Dan for stopping by and being so encouraging. You definitely are a zen presence. 🙂
It is so easy to get sucked in by society’s valuing of big, visible, dramatic life changes. What a gentle, needed reminder to focus on slow, deep growth.
Hi CJ – I’d like to say I don’t get sucked into stuff, sigh…but I have and I did and sometimes I still do…and then I remember…which of course is why Em’s journey was oh so familiar. We’re getting there tho’ aren’t we? 🙂
Your wonderful article reminded me of my Uncle Murphy.
He had the most extensive (and expensive) collection of the latest and most modern hand-tools ever assembled by an unfocused handyman. If only he had taken the time to master even one of them . . .
Thank you.
Write on, Elle !
What a great analogy Joseph – now I’m going to think of all the tips and techniques as being in my toolbox and I only use the ones necessary for my current job. 🙂
Be careful what you think of…and keep it as simple as possible…your Life depends upon it
be good to yourself
David
Darling Elle,
You write like poetry! I love this post and the flow of it so much. Just Beautiful!
Plus the quotes youve chosen to narrate this post…OMG amazing!
I’m kinda falling for your writing girl 🙂
Lots of love,
Z~
Awww Zeenat thank you for your kind words, coming from such an inspired writer as you, I’m honoured and grateful that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Beautiful piece. I thought I was reading some kind of book instead of a blog post. Beautifully done! And I love the quote from Franz Kafka. Just totally blows me away.
There is beauty and bliss in silence.
Keep it up!
-Richard
Hello Richard and thanks for joining the conversation – especially when you’re saying such nice things! I too love that Kafka quote – it’s probably one of my all time favourites and I was so happy that it fitted in so well with the piece. 🙂 And love what you say about beauty and bliss in silence. Just lovely.
Ah dear Elle-
I love your thoughts and the way you express them. studies have been done on how much information is needed in order to make an informed decision. Overload translates into bad decision making~ our brain can only handle so much.
I used to be like your friend….it was exhausting and actually kept me from the practice. Today ~ simple, simple ~ less is more. I have more time to take deep breaths, observe, and live~ xxoo-Fran
I’m so happy for you Fran that you let go of doing, doing, doing, and moved into that being state where all our good flows. :-)There are times when I can still get caught up – over enthusiasm will do that for you!
Such great wisdom Elle! Sometimes I think it comes from wanting to immmerse oneself in it all because it feels so good, so hopeful, so ideal – but then it can become all to overwhelming like you say… “Tips and techniques are a helpful part of helping us to create new habits. But discrimination is key. Allow the winds of change to blow softly into your life”
Such great wisdom 🙂
Aileen, it’s so lovely to have you back. I think it’s true to say that we’ve all been there, seen it and done it at some point in our lives, and I think being gentle with ourselves is always the way to go, even when we fall back into old habits. It’s all good. 🙂