Tag Archives: Subconscious Mind

As Strong As Your Mind

Do you know your mind? How much time do you spend consciously

subconscious mind
subconscious mind

exploring the origins of your thought? Although we like to believe our conscious mind is making all our daily decisions, the truth is that our subconscious mind rules many choices and actions. Programmed from birth to this day by the experiences of our life, the people in it, and the organizations we are members of.

Shockingly, so many people seem to live with a blissful lack of awareness about the source of most of their behavior and reality. So let’s get to know your mind. It is the entity running our life, and we are only as strong as our minds.

The Creator of Thought-Conscious Mind

conscious mindThe conscious mind is the part of the mind that produces thought. It is used to set goals, and it judges all results. It revels in new ideas and creative activities. The goals in the future are determined here, and often the path chosen is based on experience. According to Bruce Lipton of The Biology of Belief, it can process, on average, 2,000 bits of information per second. The conscious mind can only handle a few tasks at a time. We think this mind is in control. It will come up with ideas and allow us to thrive and be successful in the world. Learning to use this tool and not allow it to use us is the natural talent of the subconscious mind’s power.

Our dreams and goals are created here, and it determines the areas our focus is centered. Where our guide goes, our energy flows. Directing your thoughts toward your goals and dreams allows you to put all of your energetic flow behind them, and we can take steps to create them and make them a part of our reality.

The Man Behind the Curtain- Subconscious

The real power in our lives is the subconscious mind. It continually works on our behalf, running its programs in the background like a computer. It has a remarkable capacity. It is believed this mind can handle 4 billion bits of information per second and take care of thousands of tasks at once. It is responsible for regulating most bodily functions without a problem. The subconscious predominantly focuses on the present moment but uses past experiences to solve today’s problems efficiently.

Anyone who drives has witnessed the Subconscious mind in action. When you go down the road, and your mind is distracted by conversation or thought, and your conscious mind “drifts away,” you still drive down the street without really paying attention. You snap out of it and don’t remember how you got where you are. Thank you, subconscious mind. When the thoughts we direct with our conscious thoughts react with the subconscious mind, our world moves to make them all a reality. There are several theories and beliefs about the power of the subconscious mind. But it is undisputed that there is power here, and using it can change your life.

Minds Working Together

The real power of the subconscious mind is that many believe it dictates what we experience in reality. The experiences we have had led to the programming of the mind. This programming forms beliefs based on the_power_of_your_subconscious_mindour interactions at an early age with parents, family members, teachers, the media, or any other significant force in life. These beliefs can be positive or negative, depending on your experiences, and your thoughts lead to perceptions and how you view the world.

Your perceptions dictate your reality, success, understanding, and ultimately your happiness with your life. The subconscious responds to life through this programming, and the conscious mind can be used to create your life. Changing the way you think makes it possible to change the reality you experience daily.

So all beliefs can be affected by conscious choice, which changes the subconscious mind’s programming, where 90% of our actions come from. This process is the key to creating your life as you desire.

Much of what we believe to be accurate results from faulty programming that we built based on others’ inaccurate beliefs. Consciously evaluate your beliefs, and decide the truth in them and where they came from. Change them if they do not serve you or provide a positive life experience.

“Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.” Earl Nightingale

“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.” Anonymous

“You affect your subconscious mind by verbal repetition.” W Clement Stone

“There is only one process of healing, and that is faith. There is only one healing power. Namely. Your subconscious mind.” Joseph Murphy

“Once the subconscious mind accepts an idea, it begins to execute it.” Joseph Murphy

Being Outside the Norm

Outliers- a person or thing differing from all other members of a particular group or set.

You were born an original, don’t be a copy.

I have always been an outlier in my life, a person who is different from everyone else. This observation isn’t to say I am any better or worse than anyone else, I just am myself, and that person seems to not quite fit into the molds others so quickly pour themselves into. I have felt something wrong with me for a long time, a shortcoming of intellect or the things I enjoy.  Some people look at my differences and see a weakness that needs to be fixed so I can fit into their ideas of “normal” and find their version of happiness and safety. That would be a crime.  My greatest strength and most valuable commodity are that I am an outlier, and I see the world differently than everybody else. I don’t ask anyone to think like me, speak like me or act like me. I ask only for my true self to be on full display, which differentiates me from others and is my value.

Thoughts of an Outlier

The older I get, the more I learn, and the more I understand, the less I know. But there are a few nuggets of knowledge this outlier has found to be accurate and helpful.  We are all in control of a large part of the reality we experience, and it is done through the beliefs we carry around in our subconscious minds.  What we believe about ourselves and life tells us precisely what types of things we will accept from others and what we expect from the experience. The level of success you will reach and the value you see in yourself are all dictated inside of you.

You can change your programming through a consistent effort of conscious thought and action in your life. It begins by examining how you talk to yourself and noticing what you say to yourself. If you are critical, cruel, judgmental, or unaccepting of who you are on the inside, what chance do you have in the outside world of finding success?  Reworking the inner dialogues, you listen to and your beliefs about yourself will take work but will lead to a version of yourself that can accomplish almost any goal. This outlier believes we are in total control of what we ultimately experience. If it doesn’t make any sense, you have to accept responsibility for whatever it is and change your thoughts and expectations about who you are.

Actions of an Outlier

Actions are the things we do. I have developed a list of things I like to do and experience.  I enjoy time by myself, writing, learning, and thinking about life. But I have found my favorite thing is to have an honest conversation with someone about the things in life, I guess.  Not a debate but a discussion about the validity of my thoughts, where they are weak, where they are stable, and where they are in between. Finding a partner as an intellectual equal is a gold mine of creative juice and thought provocation.

I also think as an outlier. I enjoy creating adventures in close-by places and spending time with another who wants the small things in life. A good meal, a beautiful natural spot, a movie, a concert, time spent just quietly together talking about our hopes and dreams. Finding these adventures in life has been a great find and one I think is unique to me. It seems like people are looking for other things that are more complicated or refuse to see the joy that can come from sharing small thoughts, a stop for ice cream, or hiking a mountain. I know people who look at me, the outlier, as if I am crazy because I am not like them.  I look at them and feel sorry for them, understanding they are limited by their vision and expectation.

Company for an Outlier

Just being an outlier, by definition, is going to involve some lonely moments. You are not like the whole group, and although I am OK with the way it is, there are moments when you wish there were more companies. When a company comes, it is delightful and painful to realize the potential fellow outlier was a fake—just stopping by to see how you lived because it looked interesting.  But then they retreat into the comfort of society.

You have no choice here because you are what you are, even if the person judging you is someone you care about.  The judgment is like all others, a reflection of themselves, not of you. They must live with that, and you have to be true to yourself and be the best person you can be.  This outlier believes in honest and open communication. If I do something, I am going to explain why. That is the responsible thing to do if you care about someone. Anything else reveals a character flaw that will negatively affect your life until you rectify it.  I have carried many mistakes out into the edges of my existence, allowing them to change me.

Become an Outlier

I will encourage you to find your path in the world that is different from those walked by any others.  I know people who pay verbal homage to this idea but in action don’t follow through; their lives are empty and lost. They wish they had the strength to become a real outlier, but the leash of their programming has them caught entirely in their little lives. No matter how big their dreams are, they will never take the steps necessary to achieve them because, deep down, they think being an outlier is too dangerous and wrong.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Thinking differently, and acting uniquely like yourself is the most critical decision you can make. Finding your style can be hard to do and open you up to the judgment of others, but that is where greatness comes from and a real contribution to the world.  Become an outlier today and be yourself; you are the only person you can be.  It will start with being more conscious of the thoughts you think, the words you speak, and your actions.  Look around and see just how far from the group you have strayed and know that it is precisely where you need to be, an outlier. I am the outlier.

“Achievement is talent plus preparation. The problem with this view is that the closer psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller the role innate talent seems to play, and the bigger the role preparation seems to play.”

“Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. Once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig.”

“Hard work is only a prison sentence when you lack motivation.”

“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”

 

Creating

images“The closer you come to knowing that you alone create the world of your experience, the more vital it becomes for you to discover just who is doing the creating.” ― Eric Micha’el Leventhal.

Responsibility for Your Past

When it comes to all that you experience in your life, it does no good to point to God, nature, or any other factor as the reason for your plight.  Even though other forces will influence your life, it is your own subconscious and imagination which combine to deliver you into the situation you are currently living.

Many will argue, this cannot be. Some fate befell you by the choices of someone else, and you didn’t have a chance.  Each of us has a primary responsibility to ourselves and our lives.  We may not control all things that come our way, but we control our reactions to all things.  If someone mistreats you, responsibility for their transgressions lies in their own consciousness.  Your responsibility lies in how you let it affect you.  There can always be a time of sadness and mourning. That is understandable and probably healthy. Letting something control your life, your behavior, and your happiness forever is a poor decision. You don’t have to be a martyr for your past. Forgive those who need to be forgiven, but most of all, believe yourself.

Use Your Productive Imagination

All of us have a gift of creativity, and it comes to us in the form of imagination. Where we can picture scenes from the future as if they are real.  The thing is, we can imagine the very best, ideal things, or we can spend time dreaming up worst-case scenarios happening to us that we definitely don’t want. Take a moment and think of all the daydreams you spent. Let your mind fall on in your youth.  The ones you really found a connection with, put your emotions into, and took action toward probably came true.

Everything is created twice, once in mind, and then that idea springs forth into reality. There are no examples of it happening any other way. Your imagination provides the blueprint for all your creations. The energy we send to our future in our imagination can bring it into creation.

You Are A  Creator

You are doing the creating. All of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The thoughts you entertain are going to be dictating your reality. Once they are accepted as beliefs in the subconscious mind, they will become a part of your programming until they are removed or updated.

“The possibilities of creative effort connected with the subconscious mind are stupendous and imponderable. They inspire one with awe.” ~ Napoleon Hill

“You will be a failure until you impress the subconscious with the conviction you are a success. This is done by making an affirmation which ‘clicks.'”  ~Florence Scovel Shinn

“The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds, and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy. ” ~Florence Scovel Shinn

 

 

 

Creative

gold-fish-jumping
Sometimes you have to think outside the box (or bowl) to solve a problem.

Being creative is one of the gifts of being human. We all can look at the same situation and develop different ways of solving the puzzle and finding a solution. Problem-solving can be one of the most valuable tools we have when making money, excelling in a career, or simply just being as high as ourselves.  Sometimes it can be difficult to muster a creative answer, but there are some things that you can do to make your thought process more creative and perhaps find a solution that you are seeking. Become a monarch of creativity.

Ask the Right Question

questions 22One of the most creative things a person can do is to ask the right question. And to me, the right question leads to a new solution. All questions bring with them an unlimited level of possibility.  How can I do this differently? What would make this easier? What can I contribute to that project? How can we complete it in less time? How can it be done more efficiently?

All of the questions you can ask will allow your mind to roam freely if you let it. Our brains are a great tool, but they can only work as well as we make them. So ask a question, and then allow your mind to work on it. The answers will come in their time, and then you must treat them appropriately.

Answers Lead to More Questions

The right follow up questions can lead to the most original solutions.
The right follow-up questions can lead to the most original solutions.

Each question asked represents the possibility every answer given is a dead-end. It sounds contradictory but thinks about it. Once a solution is determined, there is no more time wasted on the question. In the long run, one seemingly great solution may be only a significant first step in solving the problem, so the answers should lead to a new question.  How can we do this even better? What else can come from this that I don’t see right now? How can we make it even better?

These are just some simple examples of how to move your creativity into overdrive. Keep the mind working. Keep the solutions coming because of the next thought, maybe the one worth a million dollars.

Lose Yourself in Something

Losing yourself in a task is easy when you are young, but it is much more challenging for adults. First, you lose-find-in-lovehave to put in a little effort to find something that will take all of your attention. It can be drawing, painting, putting an engine together, building a model, knitting, sewing, or any other activity on which all your focus can be. As your focus and attention get tested, you lose track of time, and it allows your subconscious mind to work in overdrive, and you can get the answers to other questions that you have asked yourself.

As you work on a drawing or an engine and your conscious attention is captured, the limits of our minds rise, and the subconscious can create new ideas, and we are receptive to hearing them. That is where answers to problems come seemingly out of the blue.  Lose yourself to something creative, and your creativity in thought will grow.

Change things Up

All of us are creatures of habit. Our activities tend to fall into patterns that we find either safe or How-to-change-things-up-and-make-the-everydayenjoyable or both. These behaviors turn into routines that turn into a daily path. One of the most creative things you can do is change your daily activities. Take a new route to work, stop at a different food stop, take a slightly longer way, change things up.  Try something new to eat, talk with a total stranger about life. Try something you have never tried before.

By changing these simple things, you will force your mind to use different thought patterns and know what will result from that. Each new experience will expand your mind and your experience and allow your creativity to grow as well. Perhaps the answer you seek is inside of you all along, and you need the right catalyst to free it.  Changing things up might do this.

Read! Read. Read? Read…………….

The key to every kingdom is located in between the covers of a book
The key to every kingdom is located in between the covers of a book.

One of the most natural things a person can do to increase your creativity is to read quality books about topics that interest you. Reading provides a personal connection with the information in a book that is difficult to replicate in any other way. As a result, your mind can easily expand, and there are many possibilities for that growth. That is where creativity can come in large bounds.

In my experience, a mind expanded through the written word changes for the better permanently. That is why being literate is one of the greatest gifts we have. There are absolutely no limits on what you can learn if you can read. All you need is access to a library and the most exceptional thoughts in history expose to you. Read every chance you get, and your creativity will grow. Read, and you will find roads you never knew existed before. Read and grow to your true potential.

“The creative adult is the child who survived.” — Ursula LeGuin

“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.” — Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Creativity doesn’t wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its perfect moments out of ordinary ones.” — Bruce Garrabrandt

“Everything you can imagine is real.” — Pablo Picasso

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” — Albert Einstein

Imagine what you can create……….

 

On Your Mind

a-mind-is-a-terrrible-thing-to-waste-reallyEach of us is given a gift of a mind on the day we are born. People spend lives trying to develop it (or not) and build skills that help us experience success in many different phases of life. As we learn all sorts of things,  from the rudimentary activities of functioning to the most complex ideas, our mind helps us develop goals and make the plans that allow us to make grand ideas a reality.  Our brain is our best friend and most valuable tool. It is designed to learn and grow and has a nearly limitless capacity to accomplish nearly anything you desire.  There are some simple things that we can do to enhance the process and avoid destroying the potential that our valuable brain possesses. Improving your mind is a full-time job.

Don’t Do Drugs

brain-on-drugsThis seems to be a “no-brainer,” but apparently, many people still find an acceptable escape from their problems or look for simple entertainment. Whatever the reason a person chooses to partake in the use of drugs, they choose to damage their most valuable asset. You may not be where you want to be in life, but the way to change that is to change what you believe, and your mind is the tool that can take you there. Drugs and alcohol are detriments to this process. Addiction is the home of the ego, and these well-ingrained habits are nearly impossible to stop, yet it is possible, and when you do it, your brain (or what is left of it) will be there to help you. When you stop these bad habits, you are going to be improving your mind.

Feed Your Brain

Each person has a brain that likes to learn. You may not think so as you remember your experience in the public school system, but that is not an indicator of your joy of learning but rather an indictment of the rigidity and lack of options provided by schools in our world today.  We all like to learn. We all learn differently.  To use a tool well, you need to start to understand it.

Much like a mechanic knows the workings of an engine, we should all learn something about the thoughts our brain is producing and how to control them. Some of the basics are that our brain has different parts, how many are really up for debate, and depends on who is talking. It is agreed that there is a conscious mind which is the part we have direct control over, and there is a subconscious mind working in the background all the time, helping us react and remember how to perform rudimentary tasks.

The subconscious is responsible for most of our choices, and if you let it run by itself, it will make choices based on your experience and how much pain one has felt in the past. The conditioning in the subconscious can be affected by the conscious mind with a little work. How much is up to each individual, and how much are they committed to improving their mind?

R.A.S. Improving Your Mind

Our brain has a mechanism called the reticular activating system, which helps us filter information based on what is important to us.  We are bombarded with somewhere around 2 million bytes of rasinformation at any one time and can only understand and process about 147.  That means that much of our “reality” is being ignored. The RAS works through the context of the subconscious mind, so what we hold in our mind is relevant to our interests.

If you can change your interest, your experience changes. Improving your mind is a process of becoming aware of the control you have with a concentrated, focused interest in something.  Using your Reticular Activating System to notice the things you want in life will allow you to create a life that is more of what you desire.  If you are unhappy with things, try adjusting your focus and seeing how much your life changes.

If you spend your time focused on fear and worry, then you will find more things to fear and be worried about.  If you focus on solutions, then you will find things that provide solutions.  Your life experience will follow your focus. Where that focus is directed is controlled by each of us.

We are all given the gift of a brain that can help us achieve our goals and live the life we would like to live. It makes sense that we take care of this valuable treasure by any means necessary. All of our decisions will impact the function of the mind and, through that, how much we are capable of achieving. So it is conceivable that you can achieve anything that you want if your mind is healthy and you are using it the right way. Improving your mind is a full-time job and needs our full attention.

 

What Is Up

 

Inside my head it's a mess_thumb[10]I read a great article last week about finding out what is happening on the inside. To make this more clear to get in touch with your subconscious mind, through art. This blog is called the Creative Guru, and she really is creative and a guru.   I saw the very beautiful and talented artwork the author created and loved it.  She is an artist and rendered paintings, which are just wonderful.

The author suggested that you need to have no artistic ability to do this yourself.  Lacking any ability to draw at all, I wanted to accept the challenge and see what was happening inside myself that perhaps I wasn’t aware of, if that is possible.  She also has promised to evaluate the deep meaning behind my picture. She also gives links to help your do it your self. Click Here for these

The process is quite simple, don’t think, just draw.  Whatever you feel like just do it. Well not thinking was easy, drawing was not. I did three images to give a really clear example of both my artistic failings and my unresolved issues.  I am no expert but this is what I found with each picture.

This is the short basic list of what you should look for:

  • Rounded shapes and curves indicate a need for harmony in your life.
  • Straight lines & square: indicates a down-to-earth personality
  • Arrows: signify some goal that you have in mind.
  • Intricate patterns: indicate an introverted and obsessive nature.
I even had a name for this, but I crossed it out. Didn't want to reveal too much. Can you guess what it was?
I even had a name for this, but I crossed it out. Didn’t want to reveal too much. Can you guess what it was?

This was the first one that sprung to mind if you can’t tell they are balloons tied to a fence. I am not sure why this is hidden in my mind but it was.  My interpretation: I really like balloons, they are very happy things, securely tied to a fence post where their strings will be cut someday and they will fly free through the atmosphere.  Lots of rounded shapes and straight lines, I am a down to Earth person with a need for harmony in my life. Whew! I was really worried there that I might want to join a circus or a carnival or something.

Picture number 2

Not sure I need Freud to interpret this one.
Not sure I need Freud to interpret this one.

This was the second one I did and I am not sure if the person getting rained on is me or not, but I have definitely felt this way some days. The interesting thing was the giant head of a duck was the last thing I added for no apparent reason. I would like to know why?

We are all duplicitous, I think
We are all duplicitous, I think

This was the third one I did and it is what it is.  I would explain it but really have no idea. It is the picture of a room. The thing in the middle is a mirror.  The rest of the stuff I just drew and am not sure about but I am open to suggestions.

So there you have it. I spent some time on this day, trying to find out what is on the inside. These three drawings have shown that I really don’t have much talent. However, to be honest, there was a great feeling of release in creating them. I felt happy when I was done and poor artistic ability aside, I like looking at them. I could have made a few more but wanted to keep my intense artistic abilities to myself.

What I learned so far is that it is fun to stretch yourself and try new things, without question.  Trying something new is fun and I encourage you to try it.  I may not be able to interpret these but I respect and admire those that read these pages, so please feel free to give me a title for each picture!! Thank you very much for reading to this point you deserve a prize.

 

 

My Next Step

by Jonathan Hilton

creative-guru
Click Image to say HI to Raimy-D. She has an entourage and wears jewelry like a rapper. But she is great!

One of my favorite people in the blogisphere is my friend Raimy-D(creative-guru.com).  She spends her time dreaming up stuff for me and others to try to experience. I am two activities behind but I am making an effort to do this one in real-time and let the chips fall where they will. I will take a lot of positive thinking to get this done.

Automatic Writing Assignment

This activity is called automatic writing and I was intrigued because I had such a good time when I tried her automatic drawing exercise, highlighted by Raimy-D and her expert analysis of my very talented drawings.

It was liberating and fun. So automatic writing, no problem, this should spark some positive thinking.

1271254066-writingwithpenThis is how it is supposed to work

So it should work like this:  1. Think of a question you want to have answered in your life.

  1. start writing without a conscious thought. (easier for some than others)
  2. write until you get tired I guess or until you feel like you are done.

The idea is that the subconscious mind will answer the question that you ask.  I have told Raimy-D that I am a little fearful of doing this because what if the answer isn’t something I want to hear?  But bravery is the better part of valor here and I am going to do this right now, right here and you can read my ramblings.

The question: What is my next step supposed to be in life? (Play the song at the bottom when you read, it is neat.)

swansThere were twelve swans that went to a local pond to take a swim. The water was warm but the swans didn’t know about the secret underneath the water. There were worlds that they had never seen. one at a time the swans would dive for food and while under the water they saw what was there and went to investigate each finding their own world to explore for awhile. Until there was only one swan left and he looked around and realized that he was all alone. He called for help, but no one came. He wanted to fly away but also couldn’t leave his companions without knowing their fate.  He had never seen anything but food on his dives so he was unaware of the mysteries below the water. Finally he dove deep and saw out of the corner of his eye a light that he couldn’t resist. He swam as hard a he could toward the light and with all of his effort he made it and emerged into a  totally new world. It was colorful, and full of beautiful trees, sparkling lakes it had a lot of green grass to walk on and beautiful puffy white clouds that the swan couldn’t wait to fly into.  There was no reason he could think of that this place existed but here it was he could touch it with his feet and taste it with his tongue. It seemed real to him and in the end I guess that is all that mattered.

questions
Answer my questions please.

So there you go I am not going to read this until after Raimy-D looks at it and tells me what she thinks. The answer will be in the comments. Feel free to contribute your own interpretation of the story I am open to any and all guidance in this endeavor.  I just want to learn about my next step.

I encourage you to give this a try for yourself and see what happens.  I definitely encourage you to read the Creative Guru so that you can try all of this neat stuff as well.