Who’s Developing Your Mental Software? (2001)
By C. Sean Clancy
We live in a world of images, information, and unlimited promise. The airwaves and billboards of life constantly tout the “American Dream”… wealth, happiness, and early retirement. By 9 am, we can be inundated by information…to the point of over-stimulation leading to numbness and we haven’t even had lunch yet. We’ve all heard the pitches; you too, can have it all! Unfortunately, when we arrive home tired and uninspired, the promise of having it all is a distant memory. This pattern of excessive advertising and media hype followed by unrealized dreams can have the powerful albeit unfortunate effect of lowering our expectations.
Patterns are very important to us as human beings. Patterns help us to learn by assimilating knowledge. Re-arranging knowledge into new patterns helps us unlock ancient mysteries and solve new problems as they arise. Patterns as we have learned can also be dangerous. They can hold us back or worse yet keep us stuck in one place. I have observed in myself a pattern of wanting; wanting more income, wanting a better job, wanting to be thinner, wanting to be someplace else. I have recently learned that this pattern simply attracts more “want”. By studying my own patterns, I now understand the difference between wanting and having. I no longer talk about what I want or even what I don’t want. I now talk about what I intend to have. I imagine it, I visualize it, and I mentally swim in it. Recently, I invited my wife to join me for a dip.
This past Saturday afternoon, my wife and I sat down to write the next chapter in our lives free from bonds of lowered expectations. The first thing that we did was turn off the radio, the television, and unplug the phone. Our kids went next door to play and we soaked in the soothing sunshine and serenity. With our minds quiet, we went to the place of true knowledge; our hearts. Isolated from the blaring incantations of “you too can have it all,” we talked about what was important to us based on how it made our hearts feel.
A physical connection to our extended family came in #1, followed by a physical connection to friends, the ocean, and mountains. In assessing our current state and visualizing our future state, we determined that we have a gap of approximately 1700 miles. We talked and wrote down (developed, if you will) the steps for closing this gap in very specific terms;
- What do we need to do?
- Who will take what action?
- When do we need to take each step?
- Who do we need to enlist to help us?
Our tactical plan was entered into our dedicated monthly calendar and we agreed to review our progress each Sunday night.
Next we talked about a day in the life that we are creating for ourselves. It begins with us waking to the passionate pursuit of our life’s work. It is injected with smiles, belly-laughs, reflection, and connections to other people. We’ve tasted this state of being and have been very pleased with the affect that it has on our family unit. We are fortunate that we’re in a loving relationship and that we are blessed with two sparkling, healthy, and active boys to keep us young. The added flavor of making a living doing what you love is a state of grace that many strive for and few achieve. We have decided that the effort to move into this minority is worth all of the risks and will return to us rewards many times greater that what we can imagine today.
Our pattern interrupt breakthrough came when we learned the power of attraction. By visualizing ourselves standing smack dab in the middle of our desired outcome, we managed to take control and actually “raise” our expectations. As we write our Chapter 2 supported by our new mental software, we actually smell the ocean, the pine trees, and even the fresh fallen snow. Our hearts race as colors paint the new pictures in our mind’s eye. Make no mistake our hearts are driving this process, not an image on television or a celebrity pitch for the good life. The answers to life, to living the life that you desire and deserve are right inside, within your reach. Our hearts now direct our actions with the full force and confidence of abundant passion. We are creating AND attracting the life that we have chosen.
We are exercising our favorite part of the American Dream and that is the freedom of choice. I encourage you to develop your own mental software and raise your expectations.
|
