The Global Conversation

Tag: harmony

  • The Power of Words

    I have a daily practice of saying affirmations. I publish a new affirmation on my Facebook account every day (ok, on most days….). Affirmations are a way in which we can “reprogram” our subconscious mind, replacing thoughts that no longer support our highest goals.

    I hear so many people say something to the effect of, “Simply repeating the same thing over and over to yourself isn’t going to change anything! It can’t be that easy!”

    And yet these are the same people who are wearing “Duck Dynasty” hats, “Keep Calm and (fill in the blank)” T-shirts and who hum the latest jingle to their favorite fast food restaurant as they wait in the drive through to order.

    The Bible says “In the beginning was the Word.” Words are what creates. We first have a thought, which is nothing more than “silent words”, and those words are energy that is put out into the universe and when enough energy surrounding those words accumulates, those words take physical form.

    You’re frustrated at work yet you say nothing. Every day, your frustration level increases. Soon you begin to notice that you’re having stomach problems or your blood pressure is rising. These are physical manifestations of your thoughts of frustration.

    You think of a new idea for a more efficient way of doing something at work. You spend time putting together a presentation for your boss. She loves the idea and your original thoughts are now a new company policy and you have a nice bonus check to bank.

    You want to try skydiving, but you keep thinking “What if the chute doesn’t open?” or “What if I land in a tree?” and soon those thoughts create a real fear and you don’t ever go skydiving.

    There is an undeniable trend in society today: we are becoming more and more violent.  We see this violence manifested in our lives every day: mass shootings— some by children, suicide bombings, car bombings, people murdered over the clothes they’re wearing, road rage….

    Some say that art imitates life, but I’m of the belief that it goes both ways: life also mirrors art. The movies we go to see, the video games we play, the television shows we TIVO so we don’t miss a single episode, the books we read, the music we listen to— all have become so much more violent.

    The lyrics of some major artists like Eminem (among many others!) glorify the beating, degradation and even rape of women.

    Television shows, especially “reality TV” shows like Survivor and Big Brother, glorify lying, cheating, backstabbing and deception in order to win lots of money. “True life” shows like “Wives with Knives” and “Deadly Affairs” (among many, many others) make murder and violence a big money venture.  Other reality shows, like “American Idol” and “The Bachelor” take special pains to show some of the participants in their worst possible light, some even making entire episodes that are devoted to making fun of someone for following their dream.

    Video games, wherein a player gets to rape a prostitute or steal cars or shoot gays or burn down buildings, are being played by children who are far too young to understand the difference between fantasy and reality. The traditional joystick has been replaced by guns or steering wheels or “wands” that recognize the realistic movements one must make to accomplish what their character onscreen is doing, thus blurring even further for some the difference between reality and fantasy.

    Of course, the makers/publishers/producers/directors/writers of these violent media products deny that these have any influence on the level of violence in society. They say that they’re only giving the people what they want. Then they turn around and spend $4 million dollars on a 30 second commercial to play during the Superbowl because they understand the power of advertising and the power of words to influence what you buy and what you think.

    And that is the paradox with the power of words. Until you recognize that words only have the power that you give them, words have an enormous power over what you think, what you feel, what you believe and what you do. The more you understand that the power of words is in your control, the less power words have over you.

    We have been inundated with words from birth. These words, because we do not yet understand that words have no power over us, affect what we think, feel, believe and do. And we hear them repeatedly, time after time after time. The average person in today’s western society sees more than 240 images every day that are specifically aimed at advertising.  That’s not including the ones our brain does not register.  We’re hearing these messages over and over and whether we want to admit it or not, if we’re not doing something to consciously prevent it, those messages are becoming part of our subconscious thinking and directly influences our behavior and our thinking patterns. (There’s a reason subliminal advertising is illegal!)

    And so we come back full circle to the use of affirmations. Affirmations combat those messages from advertisers that say we can’t be happy unless we buy their product or we won’t be pretty unless we use this make up or we won’t find our true love unless we use this perfume or  we’ll lose our partner to another if we don’t know how to perform this particular act.

    Affirmations are taking conscious control of our subconscious. We are reprogramming the subconscious and building a wall of protection around it that limit the influence that media input of all sorts has on what the subconscious believes. In doing so, we are creating our own reality in which our happiness doesn’t depend on anyone or anything but ourselves. In which Love is not measured in how many times we have sex or how big the ring is on our finger. In which success is not determined by how big the house we live in or the label of the clothes we wear or the kind of car in our garage. In which beauty is not determined by weight, the appearance of age, the color of our hair or whether we have “flawless” skin. In which the world of peace and harmony and brotherly love that we all profess we want to live in becomes reality.

     

     

     

     

     

  • So what about those negative thoughts and feelings?

    Now, negative thoughts and frustrations will, and do, come in from time to time, sometimes a lot more if we’ve made them a kind of unconscious habit. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing; it’s just a part of how we currently process life. It’s often very temporary, and it’s okay to feel these frustrations. We can even break these negative thinking habits by the practice of patience, forgiveness, loving kindness, and compassion we show on and toward ourselves and others.

    The trouble is we tend to be culturally conditioned to focus on them too much and stay in them too long.  This is when they can become unhealthy and less beneficial.

    I suggest instead to acknowledge them – thank them, if you will – for pointing out that there’s something going on that you don’t prefer.  Thus, your negative thoughts, feelings, and frustrations are letting you know you desire change.

    Now, you can also practice and remember that you don’t have to get caught up in, or stay so focused on, those temporary negative thoughts and feelings.  Instead, just be more aware that they actually are wise friends, pointing you toward what you do prefer.

    Negative thoughts, in fact, can have a very positive benefit!  They have an important message.

    They are simply pointing out, or letting you know, that something is important enough to create a feeling energy in you to “course-correct” yourself, if you choose.

    What would happen if you now saw your negative thoughts and frustrations as your spirit hinting strongly that it’s asking for an adjustment attunement from you to get you to a place of peace and harmony?  Wow! We were never taught that in school or at home! That’s your spirit directing you to course correction.

    Frustrations, irritations, annoyances, setbacks, anger, pain, interruptions, BIG or small, can be seen as energy bursts that happen as we desire to better our lives, become more peaceful, balanced, whole and prosperous, etc.  These frustrations and so forth come to us in answer to our desires to improve our lives, and they can help us get there more quickly by the high energy charge they give us.  We see them as negative, but that is our culturally conditioned judgment we place on them.

    If we allow it, we see that this is life calling us in answer to our spiritual life improvements we desire to have.  It doesn’t have to always come in the guise of negative thoughts, frustrations, etc.  Yet if and when it does, we can use them for our benefit rather than our determent.  That shows we are ready to move ahead with better improvements with our lives, which is why they come in the first place.

    We are indoctrinated into believing that negative thoughts and feelings are bad, that they create bad energy and experiences; whereas, another more beneficial way to look at them, or use them, is that they are showing us that something is important enough to us to cause such a strong energy, and by the feelings they create, they can powerfully move us to positive, beneficial,  and welcome change.

    They get us there more quickly than when things are going so-so.  These are powerful energy movers that are created or called forth for our betterment.  They are here to motivate and show us the way to living the life we so desire.  That is their divine cosmic purpose. That is their gift and blessing we often overlook.

    But not anymore!

    We have another way to see and perceive negative thoughts and feelings. They are secretly disguised course-correctors, the GPS  from our spirit to direct us to more positive lives and experiences.

    When we are ready and open enough in our hearts and minds and, thus, look more deeply into life, we see that it is set up in such a way that it works and plays in our ultimate favor.  The negative is here for contrast and free will choosing.  As we dive and peer deeply into the cosmic microscope, we see that good is actually behind and underneath it all.  Wow!

    The mind can’t usually conceive this, but the heart, your spirit, your soul, your true self can.  That’s what led you here to begin with, don’t you think?  That is, to place within your current experience an alternative and beautiful way to see life as an expression of Original Blessing and Original Grace.  This article is an answer to your call for understanding.  That’s what the angels tell me anyway.

    Using negative thoughts and feelings in this way eventually can become so habitual that we will eventually have less need to have thoughts show up negatively as we gain more wisdom.  Yet using the wisdom, gifts, and blessings behind the seeming negatives works and plays for our benefit, our improved joy in life.  Such is the secret wisdom behind the seeming negative if we but look and honor it.

    That’s a win-win!

    (Marko Damkoehler is an artist/writer/musician and creator of markoworld.com, as well as an avid student of CwG. He is also one of the Spiritual Helper Moderators on the changingchange.net website.)

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