Our thoughts are our internal processor. The quality and type of our thoughts depend on the state of our nervous system at the moment. Initially, when I began the healing process, many coaches consulted to change my thoughts. However, thoughts are just a surface reflection.
Our thoughts can be shifted, only with a shift in the state of our nervous system.
However, having said this, shifting the nervous system is a long-term process. We can experience behaviour shifts when we work with both the bottom-up (nervous system > emotional state > thoughts) and top-down (thoughts > emotional state > nervous system)
This post is based on the top-down approach. I believe a top-down approach is possible when the bottom-up approach is ongoing. I remember the time when I learned that I just needed to change my thoughts to shift my life. And it was difficult as I was working at a surface level. Believing a new thought felt forced and unnatural because my nervous system was not supporting this change.
Our mind receives thousands of thoughts in the day. It is a natural processing mechanism of our body. It is constantly providing us with updates on our surroundings. It is a primal mechanism. Our ancestors might have needed this moment-to-moment update to navigate their unknown surroundings.
However, now we live in a society where we are comparatively safe. We do not need to constantly be on guard for a wild animal. We do have other forms of concern. But most are not an immediate threat to our lives. Many thoughts are also passed through generations and through our DNA.
However, what might have been a threat to someone a few generations ago, will not be the same for someone now. This is why it is necessary to unlearn what was taught to us. Our threats are not the same.
Coming back to our thoughts, many of these are conditioned to us. Most of us were taught to be certain ways to be accepted. Unfortunately, for our innocent minds, we thought that we would be accepted only if we behaved in those ways.
So, we unconsciously embody these roles. Our conditioned mind experiences these thoughts as real, and we begin behaving in those ways. However, just because these thoughts feel real, doesn't mean it's true.
A Practise:
Our mind can make us experience our thoughts as very real. Let's say we are receiving an unconscious train of thoughts. These thoughts are simply projections of our childhood and collective social conditioning. Most of these thoughts can make us behave in such a way as to appease the people around us, losing our sense of self.
When we consciously decide to not engage with a certain thought, we disrupt this train of thought. Each time it comes up, you can choose - 'No, I had decided to not believe in this', and focus on something else.
From experience, this thought-shifting practice is possible when working on the emotional, nervous system, and somatic levels. However, everyone's experiences are different. If this works for someone, it's good.
Choosing your thoughts is an intentional practice. It gives power and autonomy to your experiences. Most aspects of life are completely outside our realm of control. However, this practice encourages cultivating a sense of trust in ourselves to navigate the unknown. The anchor of control is in your hand. You are the centre of gravity in your life.
I hope you learn to consciously create the life of your choice with this practice.
No comments:
Post a Comment