The Global Conversation

A Voice in the Wilderness
HAPPINESS CAN BE A REACTION
OR A CREATION

Written by

Neale Donald Walsch

in

,

Happiness can be a reaction or a creation. That is one of the most important lessons I learned in my conversations with God. It is so important that I want to repeat it here, so that you never forget it.

Happiness can be a reaction or a creation.

Most people think that happiness is a reaction. Something happens in the exterior of our reality and we become happy. Only the Life Master knows that happiness does not have to be a reaction. It can be a creation. A decision. A choice.

The proof of this is that an identical event can occur in the lives of two people and those two people can have two entirely different experiences. The first can be deliriously happy while the second is utterly unhappy. What’s going on here? Why are their experiences so different? If happiness (or unhappiness) is a reaction, why aren’t they both reacting in the same way to the same stimuli?

But wait! Not only can two people have different experiences of the same event…one person can have different experiences of the same event at different times. That’s how complex this whole happiness business is!

The fact is that exterior circumstances or events do not have to have anything to do with happiness. We can make a decision to be happy or to be unhappy, regardless of exterior circumstances. The only question would be why we would make such a decision—and how we would do so. That is, would we do so consciously or unconsciously; from a place of awareness or lack of it?

Hard to believe, I know…
Much of this is difficult for many people to accept, and I am aware of that. “Hey!”, they say to me, “I just lost my job today. How can I not be unhappy about that?” Or, “Have you taken a look at the world and how it is? Are you telling me I am making a choice to be unhappy?”

Tough as this is to hear, the answer could be (and almost always is)…yes.

I have actually been in the presence of people who have not been unhappy even in the face of the world being the way it is. They were sad—in some cases terribly, terribly sad—but they were not unhappy. (See previous chapter) I have seen people who were not unhappy when they lost their jobs. They may have been sad, but they were not unhappy.

These are people who intuitively understand the difference between sadness and unhappiness, and who are clear that these two are not, and need not be, one and the same. They allow themselves to feel their sadness—indeed, sometimes to feel it deeply —yet they maintain their inner peace, their inner happiness, their equilibrium, in the midst of the most challenging circumstances.

What do they know that we do not know? What do they do that we do not do? How do they manage this?

Which brain are we using?
Most people think that happiness is a reaction. Something happens in the exterior of our reality and we become happy. Only the Life Master knows that happiness does not have to be a reaction. Masters know what I have told you here. They know that happiness can be a creation. It can be a decision, a choice.

A reaction is something that one chooses instinctively. A response is something that one chooses deliberatively. A creation is something that one chooses proactively. A reaction comes from the Reptilian Brain, a response comes from the Mammalian Brain, a creation comes from the Human Brain.

The brain of human beings developed in stages. The first stage of development was the Reptilian Brain. It reacts to exterior data taken in by the Body. It does not store the data (reptiles have no memory), it does not analyze the data (reptiles have no emotions), and it does not call the data forward and recommend alternative responses (reptiles do not ponder their decisions, nor are they ever “confused”).

Reptiles merely encounter data and react to them. Their reaction to exterior physical circumstances and conditions is instant and instinctive, based not on evaluation of prior experiences, but on cellular encoding. Therefore their reaction is also identical and predictable, given identical exterior stimuli. (The same cannot be said about humans!)

The Mammalian Brain is the second stage of brain development. Elephants are reputed to have a long memory. Lions can become angry. (A snake cannot.) That is because mammals store data and call it forward the next time similar data appears in their environment. Mammals then compare present data with past data, and if the comparison brings them unwelcome information, they become angry. Or scared. Or happy. Whatever the case may be.

Mammals respond, reptiles react. A response is a reaction tempered and influenced by past data.

The Human Brain is the third stage of brain development. Humans not only store data and bring data forward and compare data, humans also analyze data. That is, they think about what they think about. “Should I do this, or do that…?” A lion does not ask itself, “Should I roar now?”

Humans also reflect upon their decisions. A lion does not roar and then say to itself, “Gee, I wonder if I overreacted there. Do you think that roar was too loud? What will the other lions think…?” Humans do. Humans ask themselves these kinds of questions all the time.

This is humanity’s great gift. It is this ability to analyze data and create rather than react or respond that marks a more highly evolved species. It is this skill that gives humans their power; the power to create their own reality.

The process of reality creation
Human beings have options that other creatures of the earth do not, as far as we know. (I say “as far as we know” because there are some who believe that certain mammals—namely, whales and dolphins—might live in a more advanced civilization than we do). Humans can react to exterior conditions, they can respond to exterior situations, or they are create interior realities regardless of exterior circumstances.

If they choose to create their reality, they also have two ways of doing this: (A) by using the Mind; or, (B) by using the Mind and the Soul at the same time. This second method is what I have called The WECCE Technology, from the book When Everything Changes, Change Everything. The technology involves a joining of the Mind and the Soul in a collaborative process. It is using the brain at its highest level. It is using the Divine Brain.

Thus, humans have four options:

  • They can react to exterior conditions
  • They can respond to exterior situations
  • They can create interior realities regardless of exterior circumstances…or…
  • They can recreate themselves anew in the next grandest version of the greatest vision ever they held about who they are.

HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE AWAY

So now we see that there are actually four stages of brain development. There is the Reptilian Brain, there is the Mammalian Brain, there is the Human Brain, and there is the Divine Brain. Using the Divine Brain, happiness is always one choice away.

It has been said that we live in a constant conflict between our human self and our divine self. Which self are you expressing most often?

Is your life a process of Reacting, Responding, Creating, or ReCreating your Self anew? What is, most often, true for you?

A FASCINATING EXERCISE YOU CAN DO:

  1. Can you think of a time when you just “reacted” to a certain situation and event? Most of us can. If you can, write out a brief description (a paragraph or two) about that experience. Your reaction, by the way, could have been Positive or Negative. Just let it be a time when the energy came out of you instantly, instinctively. You simply did what you did, said what you said, felt what you felt, without thinking. (You were happy or unhappy, quite instinctively.)
  1. Now, think of a time when you “responded” to a certain situation or event. You thought about what was going on in the moment, and you allowed the energy created by those thoughts to immediately flow through you as a result of your thoughts about it. (You were happy or unhappy, quite spontaneously.)
  1. Now, think of a time when you “created” your reality regardless of an exterior situation or circumstance. You thought about what was going on in the moment, and you analyzed that data and choose deliberately to experience yourself in a certain way, allowing the energy of that choice to flow through you as a result of your decision. (You were happy or unhappy, quite intentionally.)
  1. Finally, can you think of a time when you “created” your reality regardless of an exterior situation or circumstance, and regardless of your own prior thought about it or your limited mental analysis of it, but with, also, the benefit of your Soul’s Awareness of the Soul with regard to it? You thought about what was going on in the moment, and you analyzed that data and felt yourself experiencing an event in a certain way, then opened to a Larger Experience, moving into the space of the Soul and allowing the Soul’s Data to enlarge the Mind’s Data, and then watching the energy of that fullness flow through you as a result of your ascension into Beingness. (You were happy absolutely, because there was nothing else to be!)
  1. Now, be honest with yourself and tell yourself: On the average day, how many times do you react to exterior circumstances, how many times do you respond, how many times do you create your interior reality regardless of exterior circumstances, and how may times do you recreate yourself anew in the next grandest version of the greatest vision ever you held about who you are? Give yourself a % for each of the categories, and look to see what this tells you about how you are living your life.
  1. React   ___%
  2. Respond ___%
  3. Create ___%
  4. Recreate Anew ___%

(Please Note: The above is one of 36 lessons in the CWG Spiritual Mentoring Program. You may find more information about this program here: http://www.nealedonaldwalsch.com/SpiritualMentoring)

 

 

Comments

9 responses to “A Voice in the Wilderness
HAPPINESS CAN BE A REACTION
OR A CREATION”

  1. Patrick Gannon Avatar
    Patrick Gannon

    Interesting column, and one that I partly agree with. I do think we can take some responsibility for our own happiness.

    I’m not sure about the veracity of his description describing the evolution of the brain, I’ve read recently that reptiles may be much more intelligent than we think, and I certainly don’t know what a “Divine Brain” is. EVerything in it dies when it does. There’s nothing divine about that. At any rate, this is a column with some useful advice. With a couple exceptions like the “Divine Brain”, until the exercise at the end, we aren’t required to believe in some imaginary invisible being that lives in the sky… that must be why there are so few words capitalized! When Neale starts capitalizing words, he’s trying to get you to believe something.

    In the exercise he starts capitalizing words when he’s talking about the Mind’s Data and the Soul’s Data, and other things for which we have no evidence. How does an immaterial soul hold data? Or does it hold Data, and what’s the difference? I get the same definition, regardless of whether I capitalize it. So why does he do it? I think that he believes it gives his words greater meaning than they would have otherwise, or he is attempting to change the meaning of commonly accepted words for his own purposes. We get a “Larger Experience” instead of a “larger experience” which must mean it’s something different. When you see Neale trotting out the caps, turn on your BS meter because he’s in salesman mode. He’s selling beliefs!

    Reply
  2. Marko Avatar
    Marko

    “Human beings have options that other creatures of the earth do not, as
    far as we know. (I say “as far as we know” because there are some who
    believe that certain mammals—namely, whales and dolphins—might live in a
    more advanced civilization than we do).”

    I often wonder if there are alien beings that are so intelligent & superior to humans that even though we think we are all that & a bag of chips, :-), that we are to them like animals are to us in respect to consciousness. We don’t entertain this idea much if at all, simply because we think we are so smart even when when we are highly critical of our selves and society. We think because we can be so critical even when constructively so, that is more pronunciation of our high intelligence.

    While I take some pride in thinking positively a majority of the time & catching most negative thoughts before the go into the subconscious, (a result of years of practice,– & re programing habitual thought patterns), — while I work & play daily to be peace, joy & enlightened. I find my self occasionally reacting.

    Twice last week, in anger around the computer & problems of slowness & hitting deleting stuff accidentally. The anger reaction happened immediately, no time to think or reflect in responding. That really bothered me that I reacted so quickly. So much for my working/playing at being enlightened! Yet I have come a long way.

    Yet when reaction is or appears immediate what can we do, since the damage in one respect is done? Yes you can do things after to mitigate the anger, but how not to even be in that reactive space to begin with? I think I’m moving there, but since it’s more rare I really remember that feeling when I do react. Thoughts?

    Reply
  3. Jethro Avatar
    Jethro

    We decide what to feel even when we believe it to be a “Natural” feeling. What made it natural? From who did we “learn” how to feel about anything? From who did we learn to react to anything?

    We naturally act and react the way our parents did or whoever we may have held a high amount of respect. We watched, we listened, we liked what we saw and we adopted. It’s possible we didn’t actually like what we saw, we just formed a belief that it was the proper way to act. We actually chose how to act and express ourselves, even process internally, everything we experience. Since we made the decision once, we can most certainly do it again. There are times when we should turn to a professional to help make those changes. There is no shame in wanting to have a better view of life.

    I have had experience in making many changes in core beliefs in a short amount of time. It required me to live in those changes. It was a good start and I am still working on it. I will be working on it for the rest of my life. The changing of those beliefs also dramatically changed the way I react to things. Every new experience requires us to examine how we intend to respond, sometimes in a split second. What atmosphere will we be creating with our thoughts and actions about it. Do we need to, let’s say, calm down and re-create a new idea about the new experience so that others may remain calm? We cannot be of any help to another if we decide to collapse under the pressure of an emergency. We cannot plan a better future, if we believe there cannot be a better future, nor can we create a better present. Our immediate Idea of life will conduct our immediate reaction to everything. Holding a positive view of life can create a positive reaction which can include stopping to decide how to respond in a positive manner, which creates a positive outcome. Re-creation can occur at any moment during an experience and can always be considered.

    Reply
  4. Spiritual_Annie Avatar
    Spiritual_Annie

    Neale, you have just described the layers I went through in dealing with my childhood issues with my father!

    As a newborn through toddler, I reacted to my father’s abuses. It was the most natural thing to do, having instinct rather than history on which to rely. (Reptillian)

    As a toddler through my decision to enter therapy, I learned to respond to abuse, even repeatedly getting into abusive situations. I also fine-tuned tying everything in my life to what I first experienced with my father. (Mammalian)

    In therapy, I applied my human mind to my past. That involved pulling in more information than my own personal view, but it was still a material worldview. (Human)

    Spiritually, by being connected with Divinity through my Soul, I was able to achieve a larger perspective. That changed my interior experience with those exterior events, which completely changed how I felt about them. I understood that I was not a victim, my father was not a villain, life was not a lesson, and I became grateful. (Mind)

    I have since chosen to create from all the levels of my triune being a way to share how I was able to do so in order to help others transform their own experiences. My motivation comes from the gratitude I now have for the positive affects of those childhood experiences and for the part they played in getting me to where I am today–someone whose exterior circumstances affect me much less than my inner, spiritual reality does. (Divinity)

    That’s the grandest version of the greatest vision I hold about who I am: someone so unconditionally loving and compassionate that I feel called to help as many others as possible.

    Do I stay in that last stage al the time? Absolutely not. The good news, though, is that I rarely slip back into a reptillian reaction or mamillian response as I continue to live and have more experiences. I can certainly slip back into a human worldview when I first encounter a new experience, but it doesn’t take long before I try to find a larger perspective from a spiritual viewpoint because I’ve chosen to make a habit of it.

    I won’t say that living from that grandest version and greatest vision is easy by any means. It has its own energy, which I feel in spurts when I’m motivated to brainstorm or write. I haven’t yet found a way to sustain that energy, nor am I convinced that I should. When the dishes need to be washed, I don’t necessarily need to be my grandest and greatest. I can save that special energy for when I’m around others, and those times I set aside to brainstorm, write and create. Energies have their own movements and cycles, and I try to work with them rather than control them.

    How interesting that, at the very time I’m starting to drill down into what I see as my Mission and Passion, you should publish this column. Hmmm… ?

    Love and Blessings Always,
    ~Annie

    Reply
  5. Jethro Avatar
    Jethro

    Humans have found benefits in expressing emotions even if not a true honestly felt emotion. We are constantly examining the world around us, examining other humans. We do not wish to be an outsider. We worry about how people view us anytime that we can be seen, we worry about who is going to see what we have done when nobody is watching, and we plan our emotional state when we are aware of who we will be around.

    So, can we decide to be what others are not and still be accepted? Of course we can! (unless your a politician). The people who decide to be themselves are the ones who come up with all those interesting quotes, The most interesting man on earth (beer commercial) would not have been very interesting if he only did what everyone else was doing. He never would have done all of those amazing things without thinking about it first and acting without shame. Point is, why do we feel we have to be the same as everyone else when being ourselves may be the one thing that makes us great. Mirroring people around us or parroting others robs us of a moment when we could have been truly great to ourselves. That’s what really matters isn’t it?

    Reply
  6. mewabe Avatar
    mewabe

    Haven’t you noticed that happiness, joy and fulfillment come when we let go of control? Sexual intimacy is a pertinent example and a great teaching. A Zen attitude of going with rather than against life (meaning inner or outer life), in the same way the surfer goes with the wave rather than attempting to control and master the wave, and thus becomes one with a power that is greater than his own limited egotist will, is sure to bring and maintain happiness.

    Control might give us a sense of false, temporary security, including emotional security and consistency…in this way control is kind of like prozac (which physically controls the brain)…it does not bring happiness, only numb stability. The true and happy “master” does not control, because he is one in his heart, mind, body and soul, and he knows that he and the universe are one. What is there then to control, and who would be controlling who?

    Reply
    1. Jethro Avatar
      Jethro

      Hello Mewabe, I read your post seconds after you posted it and I have been thinking about it. The part that caught my eye was “in the same way the surfer goes with the wave rather than attempting to control and master the wave”. I’m still trying to figure out what I did to create success in my life or what it was I was doing wrong. It could be that I still haven’t fully submitted to moving about naturally. Still trying keep a certain amount of control that I can only trick myself into believing I actually have.

      “first, you have to know what you should unite with…reality (nature, the Tao) or illusion (the artificial human world that has been mentally separated from nature and hides the way of the Tao)”. ====I’m thinking that we must create a balance between both Nature and Human illusion. One or the other alone will not work entirely. When I was thinking about what humans were doing to the earth I was creating anger. When I concentrate on what I consider a lack of common sense in the humans I must be in contact with daily, I create anger. In either case I am subtly requiring the world to do what I want. Angry because I’m not getting my way. When we use our knowledge in a positive way, we educate people, and most people are happy to listen. We may not get our way still, but we have done all we can. I have not become great at it yet, but I’m not experiencing the amount of anger I was just months ago when….. I had to figure out how to deal with a bunch of ignorant, selfish, thoughtless human beings who would destroy the world to make plastics and then not keep the basic plastic plumbing fittings I need to complete a job without having to drive two hours in a place where they have been supplying construction materials for years which explains the stupidity that must be required to perform some of the construction that I’m having to correct!… I think I have actually said that loudly, in my car and by myself pushing out the last syllables while forcing the last bit of air from my lungs. Turns out, If I just ask the store to stock items that I need often, they are happy to do so. I cannot change the manufacture of plastics so easy, especially if I keep purchasing them. Its a catch 22. Being in a rage because of it could not bring a positive outcome for them or myself. I think it’s Balance that brings peace.

      Thank you for your post.

      Reply
    2. Marko Avatar
      Marko

      And when you let go of control you ironically actually have more control. Interesting even in lucid dreaming your control is almost always limited. I do feel that as we excel & become more enlightened we can have more control of the life energy. We just do so in what is a positive life affirming, life enhancing way. Now we often do so unconsciously & by negative default.

      If you program your mind enough & think positively in a deep way you are less controlled by negative unconscious experiences & start to experience only or mostly positive experiences. Living within limits is part of the joy & challenge of being in our current physical state. But the idea of control & those who say we only have the illusion of control is a fascinating subject to me.

      Learning to respond as opposed to react is a form of moving from unconscious control to conscious control. Or being less controlled by negativity & the unconscious.

      Interesting, we hear about trolls on the internet. They try to con-trol others by their negativity.

      Reply
  7. Mateia Andrei (A true friend) Avatar
    Mateia Andrei (A true friend)

    ‘HAPPINESS CAN BE A REACTION OR A CREATION””
    So,what?
    Everything that occurs in our life occurs in perfect order with perfect timing in the perfect way, allowing the Soul to address its lifetime-to-lifetime agenda”

    Sorry Neale but I don’t do perfection. How does God dare deny my greatness.
    Where are all of my unwritten executive orders made manifest?
    For those concerned that I might want your will rest at ease my plans have nothing to do with you.

    Reply

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