Why I program my mind

image from guitar.com

“You program your mind that’s why it’s easy for you to change (old habits).”, my friend told me.

“Don’t you do that?”,  I asked.

“No, I simply create new and beautiful experiences for myself so it can cover up the sad and painful parts of my past.”, she answered.

_________________________________________________________________________

“Well, if that works for you, then it’s fine.  My concern though is, if we don’t resolve our past and confront the limiting beliefs we hold on to, it can unconsciously affect our present.”, I replied.

_________________________________________________________________________

image from ministrytoyouth.com

*** During my recent retreat in India, I met a classmate who was able to overcome depression by digging deep into why he was so lonely.  

“I looked back in my childhood and I saw that all of my friends left me without saying goodbye.  They either moved houses or moved schools without telling me.  It happened several times and it left me with a deep feeling of loneliness.”, he opened up.

_________________________________________________________________________

“I recognized that feeling alone when I was a child was the root cause of my depression.”

_________________________________________________________________________

“So, during my meditation I would let go of this pain and allow the Divine to take the role of my friend. After several years of doing this, I was healed.”, he shared. 

image from vessence.com

*** I was speaking to a group of teens during a recent retreat in Tagaytay.  One of them asked, “What do you have to let go of  (so you can become a better you)?”.

_________________________________________________________________________

“I let go of the tv ( and all its other subsidiaries).  I realize that it’s programming my mind to get more and more stuff I really don’t need.  Commercials tell me if I open a bottle of this I will be happy or if I use this product I will be beautiful or if I get this gadget I am cool.  The stories paint a grim view of reality (around 90% of the news are distressing) or are too far from the truth (romantic stories subtly tell the viewers that they will live happily ever after if they find their soulmate).”, I answered.

_________________________________________________________________________

image from uhs.umich.edu

*** Many years ago, I watched a vampire movie with my youngest sister.  It was brimming with violence and romance.  I had to debrief her after to make sure that she can separate fiction from reality. 

You see, everything around us tries to get us to think in one way or another.  


A friend wrote that most people nowadays are running on autopilot.  I noticed most of us have been "zombiefied".  

I rode the train a week ago and 8 out of 10 people are on the phone- checking social media, playing a violent game or watching telenovelas (I surveyed the whole cart).  

I wonder if they debrief after.  Do they ask themselves what they feel after looking at the posts of their facebook friends?  Are they jealous or are they happy?  Do they check if they are becoming aggressive after playing violent games?  Do they notice the subtle messages the series or movies they watch tell them?  Do they discriminate which information to keep and which ones to discard?

________________________________________________________________________

You see, if I don’t program my mind, the world will.  So, I take the time to look inside.  I declutter.  I discern.  How about you?

_______________________________________________________________________

meditation by Release Your Wings