reality
How To Overcome Negative Thought Patterns
There are times when one may be feeling very serene, and completely at peace with ourselves and the world. One may even be feeling highly satisfied with the spiritual growth and personal healing you have accomplished thus far. Then, quite unexpectedly, you lose your sense of alignment. You suddenly feel ‘disconnected’ from the source of our being.
This feeling is especially triggered when one feels overwhelmed by life’s responsibilities, or the constant demands of others. And once we slip into this negative state of mind, many deeply buried, unpleasant memories tend to emerge in our consciousness in the form of haunting ‘flashbacks.’
I recently heard a friend referring to this experience as cognitive distortion. We can so easily begin to catastrophize, and expect the ‘other shoe to drop,’ once our anxiety level becomes this amplified. The mind is powerful and under these circumstances we tend to indulge in a lot of ‘what if’ thinking. The mind races, imagining all the worst case scenarios as potential outcomes.
This kind of catastrophic thinking typically takes our mind into two directions. Firstly, it puts a truly negative spin on the current situation. And secondly, it causes us to anticipate all the many, many things that could possibly go wrong in the future.
Polarized thinking is another problem for some of us. This thought pattern is when we only see things in terms of right or wrong, and this can lead to setting unachievable standards for ourselves and others, as well as send our stress levels through the roof! Polarized thinking crops up when we find ourselves basing our hopes and expectations on, for example, getting that dream job, impressing other people, finding our soulmate, becoming famous, and so on.
The Linear Time Trap Of The Past
It is said we do not know what time is. We also do not know where it comes from, and we definitely do not know where it goes! And according to Albert Einstein, the famous physicist, the distinction between past, present and future is only an illusion, because space and time are fluid. Yes, such are the mysteries of the fourth dimension.
Linear time may be an illusion in scientific terms, but in our daily life it is still the time that we cannot stop or control. That clock keeps on ticking, and the cycles of night and day will forever come and go. Every morning, the sun shall continue to rise, and the Earth will progress on its annual journey around the Sun.
However, our experience of time goes beyond the everyday linear. Did you know that there is also such a thing as spiritual time?
Surely you have observed that whenever you are doing something really unpleasant or boring, time can certainly drag on. For example, I recently had to wait for some medical tests that would determine whether or not I was developing breast cancer. Thankfully, the tests came back negative, but I remember thinking of those awful four weeks of hospital visits and biopsies as being the ‘longest month of my life!’
On the other hand, time can also pass so quickly whenever we are having a good time and enjoying ourselves. Why would this be? Well, when you are really delighted with something, your soul, your spirit, your higher self becomes fully engaged in the pleasant experience you are having. In simple terms, when this happens, you literally lose track of linear, reality time itself and your personal, spiritual time shifts to the front. This is the time of your true spiritual self.
Prophecy, Free Will And The Laws Of Probability
Psychics, mediums, intuitives and diviners all have their own abilities, talents, skills and unique style in which they work. Be that as it may, we are all still working within the parameters of Quantum Physics and the Laws of Probability. That means the spiritual or metaphysical answers we seek for our physical existence all exist within a tight, coupled framework of probabilities. And it is neither prophetic, nor deterministic in nature.
As a former microchip designer, I was taught if you cannot see it, measure it, and repeat it, then it cannot exist. As an intuitive reader, I know from personal experience this is not entirely true. The unseen realm is an incredible resource with a wealth of information, which we can access to support us. And things are never as they seem.
So, why should we be cognizant of the influence of probabilities, or free will? Well, because they determine the important outcomes in our lives. Probabilities, in my view, is the basic mechanics of the Universe. I toss a coin. Probability of it landing heads is 50%, and landing tails is 50%. As we increase the number of factors (or possibilities) the probability may reduce. For example, winning the typical lottery jackpot has a probability of one in millions. Mathematics provides that figure.
On top of this, the probability result is not reached until we observe (or witness) the event. What we witness can also, in effect ‘change’ the outcome. This is a difficult thing to comprehend for the layman. For example, a psychic reader’s client wishes to understand if they should leave their job. Maybe they are fighting with their boss, feeling undervalued, or feeling bored. The initial response is no, and yet Spirit offers more detail around the work environment.
Choosing A Spiritual Path With Heart
There are many blind choices we make when we are too young or inexperienced to make the best decisions for ourselves. We are born into a family, or raised in a culture, for example, with its unique traditions and beliefs, or lack thereof, and we are usually quite susceptible in our youth to these influences.
In the process of becoming an adult, the questioning of such beliefs and traditions leads us towards who we will become, to discovering what truly resonates with us, and what does not. But this is something we may have taken lightly in our youth, and therefore needs to be looked over several times in our life to find out with real sincerity what is truly calling us.
It is possible that being born in a traditional Christian home, for example, we felt constrained and limited, even small and powerless, ultimately causing us to reject all dogmatic religion. For someone else, brought up maybe in an atheist home, the search for God or faith may bring a profound sense of empowerment and life purpose that nurtures their life. It all depends on us as individuals, and how we process our own reality.
Carlos Castaneda writes in The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, “Before you embark on any path ask the question: does this path have a heart? If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must choose another path. The trouble is nobody asks the question; and when a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him.”
Extraordinary Events That Defy Explanation
Over the past number of years my husband and I have experienced many unexplained events, and we have been trying to understand the deeper meaning of it all. I will attempt to relay some of them to you in order that you may draw your own conclusions.
The first that comes to mind is when we were living on an acre of property in a somewhat rural area. There were no trees or protuberances near the house. We were sitting quietly watching television, when suddenly we heard the most horrific boom sound coming from the roof. We jumped up from our chairs. It sounded as if a log had fell on the house!
We ran outside to see what could have caused this thunderous commotion, but much to our surprise there was absolutely nothing to be seen… not a tree or bird – although it would have been an enormous bird to have caused that clamorous noise and deep vibration which we had so clearly felt. We never did find the meaning or cause of that event.
The next situation I recall vividly is when we were traveling along a well-used stretch of road, on our way to the local supermarket. Much to our shock and dismay we encountered a huge flock of dead birds, at least a hundred or so, spread all along the main part of the road. We stared at this strange scene for an inordinate amount of time, as we simply could not believe our eyes.
Inspiration – A Message From My Guides
In times of division and mistrust, it is often easy to see the negative side of any given issue. Rather than letting everything pile up around you and affect your own positive mood, though, it is more helpful to try and find a little sunshine as you go about your day-to-day business.
Whenever possible, search for inspiration in even the simplest of things. If you can put your negative thoughts to one side and look elsewhere for inspiration, it can make it much easier to see the positive side of life.
Look for some good in people, even if they do not share your views. Focus on interesting and creative news stories of the day and look for inspiration in the most unexpected or mundane places.
Find joy in little everyday things and don’t take anything for granted. Imagine the myriad of components that had to fall into place in order for you to be where you are in this time and place. Be grateful for the lessons you have learned and your ability to mentor others by example.
The more you search for things that inspire and make you smile, the more examples you will find and the easier it will be to recognize that your world has many points of inspiration.
The Power Of Observation
In this busy world we rarely take the time to observe things around us. Most people see and feel things only through their own personal lens. Of course, it is only normal to identify with your own feelings and the things you have seen, heard or experienced. But sometimes so much of what we believe as reality is the only way we will accept it. It is necessary in some situations to take a step back and observe a situation, look at all sides of it and try to remain neutral.
I have worked with some clients in my hypnosis practice who just can’t seem to look at a situation from a different perspective. It is much easier for people to observe someone that looks much like them on a television screen playing out a scenario. They may see, feel even hear things that could not be recalled at the time of the event. Another way is to view the scene in a different way in order to rewrite the script to achieve a different outcome by observing. The incident with a different outcome may show the possibility of different realities.
For example, when there is a car accident and four or five people witness and observe it. When questioned, the people usually all have a very different account of what happened. Through their own personal lenses they believe it as gospel. But is it really?