Do Things Happen to You or for You?
Working with the Law of Cause and Effect
Instincts and Subconscious Responses
Animals are born with a lot of pre-programmed responses that have been genetically useful to their species, but humans start life with an ability to "program" our responses based upon experience and belief. Much of this programming occurs before we are six years old, a time when our conscious brain is not yet functioning very well and we save (believe) whatever we hear and experience without the "filtering" that occurs in our adult life. This provides a rapid learning curve but also leaves us open to a lot of "programming errors". These are beliefs that we created ourselves (with our immature minds) or ones we were told, that create unnecessary limits on our potential.
Since we spend a large percentage of our time being controlled by the subconscious mind, it is critical that we ensure that it is properly "programmed". This means regularly checking that our habits and beliefs are actually aligned with our values, and working to change those that aren't. Furthermore, to make the best use of our conscious mind, we need to keep it "in the moment" and live "at choice". Let me explain what these terms mean.
Being "In The Moment"
To be "in the moment" means that we are not thinking of something that has happened in the past or might happen in the future. The former thoughts are often circumstance that we regret or that we refuse to forgive. The future thoughts often contain worry and anxiety. Energy spent on these kinds of thoughts is wasted. Even more important, they prevent us from being fully conscious of what is happening RIGHT NOW! If we are not conscious, we will live our lives by subconscious REACTION instead of conscious RESPONSE.
Living "At Choice"
To live "at choice" means just that -- we CHOOSE our response to what is happening, instead of merely allowing our subconscious to react ("a knee-jerk" response). When we delay our response until we have considered our options and selected the one that is most consistent with our values and beliefs and "feels good", we will live a happier life with fewer regrets and more joy. If we give it the choice, our heart will lead us to the most loving choice, which will always be the best one long-term.
Karma: The Law of Cause and Effect
When we take the time to consider our options, we can evaluate the probable effects of each choice. Will it be the best not only for us but also those around us? This is accounting for the law of Karma, cause and effect. As a wise person once said, "We are punished more BY our sins than FOR our sins." Without any extra moral enforcement, our actions alone will set into motion reactions by others around us and by our own mind (e.g. guilt and remorse) that will benefit or restrict us over time. As the Bible says, "We reap what we sow".
Making Things Happen FOR You
Now you can see that maybe you DID have something to do with your circumstances. When we have made "living in the moment" and being "at choice" a habit, we will find that we can actually change our behavior and life experience to be more consistent with our desires. This is because we will be using our mind effectively to realize the goals that we intend. This is what it means to be truly awake! It is important to have a vision and dreams for your life, but to realize these dreams, you must spend most of your life AWAKE! Then you will find that things actually happen FOR you, not TO you.
REFERENCES:
Chapter 3, "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success", Deepak Chopra.
Minister's Sunday message
Published by Mike Oberg
I am a retired engineer who enjoys photography. I post slideshows of my pictures and write articles on a range of topics. My daughter Maria Roth and my wife Mary Oberg are both AC contributors. View profile
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23 Comments
Post a CommentVery interesting ideas, Mike!
Amazing points, well said..
Back again! We have to make a conscious change and own up for our actions which should be considered ones. We need to tune our subconscious mind to be aware of the social good which should be the inspiration and the guiding light for our lives. But let the change be within our comfort levels, slowly but surely! Our actions could fine tune our karma that is passed down from past actions/lives - siva
Thankfully, for those of us who had faulty programming during the formative years, whatever age we come to Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Savior, we are created anew in Him, and those faulty thought patterns are overcome. As always, a thought provoking article, MO.
Excellent info.
We need to be conscious of our actions which should not be knee-jerk. Living the moments than be pre-progammed is always the wise choice. We need to analyze our actions. Thought provoking; have to read again and reflect on our daily actions more often. Thanks for sharing, Mike - siva
Great article. I read it twice. Thought provoking.
Intriguing speculations... thanks...
An excellent article packed with wise observations. Thanks!
Those of us with a strong N preference on the Myers Briggs personality type may find staying in the moment tough. I know I do. But I try anyway.