02 Developing Positive Self- Awareness, Creating My Own Real

These CDs have been produced to give you an insight into the greatest but least understood energy resource in the universe-the human mind. When you fully understand and harness the energy of the mind, then you can begin to master your life and produce those thoughts which give you the most happiness.

Transcript

We are all influenced by the changing world around us,

By the situations we find ourselves in,

And by our relationships.

How can I remain positive and keep my own sense of self-respect,

Even though everything around me appears to be going wrong?

Let us look at how we can gain a fresh perspective on life and develop a positive self-image.

If you were to ask people around the world what they feel is the most precious thing that they could possess,

Many would give their reply in one simple word,

Freedom.

This may mean basic freedoms of expression or belief,

But even though I may have every type of freedom under the law,

We are often in bondage to our own negative moods or habits.

The greatest freedom is the freedom to create my own thoughts and feelings,

Uninfluenced by external factors.

This is inner freedom.

Let us look at the concept of inner freedom and the many influences that put constraints on my freedom.

How can I develop the power of choice in relation to my own thoughts and feelings?

Which thought should I create that will enable me to taste the inner freedom that positive thinking brings to the self?

The freedom to think,

Experience and express what I want,

When I want.

If I can steer my thoughts in this way,

Then I begin to get a glimpse of the real me that is actually very visible as soon as we begin to separate ourselves from all the many influences around us,

Both external and internal.

In fact,

It's a new journey of discovery,

Seeing myself as I really am,

Not just as a reflection of what others think of me or a reflection of my situation.

No one can be myself like I can.

For this job,

I'm the best person.

There is a real positive me that is always there.

I need positivity because that is what I am.

I begin to rely on my own inner resources,

For example,

My inner peace,

Love,

Strength.

These are just some of my positive qualities waiting to be tapped if I use my power to choose.

However,

We are affected or influenced by many things.

Here are a few examples.

Possessions.

I get affected,

Even threatened by physical objects.

Don't talk to me today,

Someone has scratched my car.

Here,

I have allowed the influence of a physical possession,

In this case a car,

To create negative thoughts and an expression of negativity,

Anger.

Mrs Jones has got a new fitted kitchen,

I want one too.

Someone else's possession has caused me to feel a negative feeling of jealousy.

Or what about our circumstances?

I didn't have a formal education.

I can never get on in life.

I am allowing a circumstance to cause me to have weak and negative thoughts about myself and so I am actually stopping myself from fulfilling my own potential.

Or a very common example,

It's raining,

I feel miserable.

Perhaps the greatest influence on us is the people that we interact with.

My big brother is very clever,

No one will ever listen to my ideas.

I am creating a lack of confidence in myself by comparing myself with someone else.

I forget that I am a unique individual with my own unique potential.

I won't enjoy myself if my friend is not at the party tonight.

Here,

I've created a dependency on someone else for my happiness.

The reason why I get so influenced is that I identify in some way with the people I interact with,

With my possessions,

Or with the circumstances I find myself in.

I look towards them for a sense of my own identity,

But in reality,

My identity is totally separate from anything external.

Until I understand that,

I will go on depending on all those external factors to make me feel good,

So my happiness is bound to be threatened at every moment.

Because at every moment,

Possessions,

Circumstances and people can change.

Or maybe they won't change as I would like them to.

I am then in a state of dependency,

And I forget my own positive qualities,

And I sacrifice my self-respect.

And most of all,

I forget my true identity.

I forget that I have a choice over how I think and feel.

And as the example showed us,

Negative emotions such as jealousy,

Anger or fear erupt,

And then I become even more dependent on external factors for my sense of identity and happiness,

As I try to free myself from these emotions.

Let us take a common example.

A job interview.

If being successful and gaining the job is the sole source of my happiness,

Then I'm in trouble.

Such dependency creates fear,

And tends to give rise to negative thoughts such as I'm no good,

I won't be able to answer the questions,

Etc.

I will imagine myself failing and remember other situations of failure.

I go into the interview with fear,

And I do a lousy interview,

And I don't get the job.

Then what happens to my identity and my happiness?

I then reinforce my own vision of myself as a failure.

Now let's look at the same situation with a different perspective.

If my identity and therefore my happiness does not depend only on the job,

But is based on my inner strengths and positive qualities,

Then I can put the interview into a wider perspective,

And approach the interview without fear and with self-respect.

I will create positive thoughts about the interview beforehand,

That I will do my best,

That I will have many good qualities that I wish to express in the interview,

Etc.

I will have a good sense of self-esteem.

I imagine myself giving a good interview,

And remember other situations of success.

I go to the interview with confidence.

I give a good interview.

Now even if I don't get that job,

I still feel good,

Because my identity and happiness depends on my inner qualities.

I also know that I've done my best,

And I can learn something for next time.

So how can I make sure that I base my identity on my inner qualities,

And constantly create positive thoughts?

I need a change of perspective.

I'd like you to try another small exercise.

Take a blank sheet of unlined paper,

And with your pen put a small dot in the centre of it.

Now look at that piece of paper.

What do you see?

The most usual reply to that question is that you see a dot in the middle of the paper,

But in fact 99% of the paper is plain white.

Yet because of my perspective,

The thing that has influenced us has been the 1%,

The dot.

Now imagine that that piece of paper is yourself.

How often do I get distracted by one or another external influence,

Or one particular defect that I see in myself,

That is the 1%,

And forget the many powerful and positive qualities that I have within myself,

That is the 99%.

How often do I base my self-identity on the 1%,

Ignoring the 99%?

We also tend to do the same with our relationships.

If someone has one bad habit that irritates me,

I am blind to their many good qualities.

Looking for and responding to those good qualities will radically change the nature of my relationship with that individual.

If I don't,

I can get locked into a particular perspective and self-identity,

And I won't be able to change,

Nor will I allow others to change.

I was talking once to a woman who had been married to her husband for 50 years.

She told me that she had spent the last 50 years trying to make her husband as she wanted him to be,

And he had spent the last 50 years trying to make her as he wanted her to be.

And,

You've guessed it,

Neither of them have got anywhere.

It's always good to remember that I am like a boat sailing through life.

The boat should be in the water,

But the water should not be in the boat.

I cannot just walk away and leave circumstances or people that I don't wish to be with,

But also I should not let them overtake my mind and make me sink.

Remember,

I am the master of my own mind.

Remember,

I have a choice over how I think and feel.

What is the effect of such a change in perspective?

I am influenced by circumstances,

Possessions and people becomes.

.

.

I am the influencer of circumstances,

Possessions and people based on my inner positive qualities.

My state of mind depends on what others say and do becomes.

.

.

I create my state of mind and others respond accordingly.

If I give respect,

I will gain respect.

If I give love,

I will gain love.

If I have self-confidence,

Others will trust me.

Remember,

S.

O.

S.

Stand back.

I put things into perspective.

Observe.

I can identify the influences that are on me,

Both external and internal,

And I can see how they are influencing me.

Steer.

I consciously create thoughts of myself free from those influences and thoughts of the good qualities and strengths that I have at the very core of my being.

Let us now reflect on these ideas and practice positive thinking.

Again,

Sit in a relaxed position and allow the tension to flow out from your limbs.

Take a few deep breaths.

Now stand back from yourself.

Observe.

What do you see?

Observe yourself in different situations.

Can you identify the things that have the greatest influence on you?

The people that influence you the most?

The dependency on my possessions?

The circumstances that I find myself in?

Just observe how all these external factors influence you and change your state of mind.

Maybe I feel good with a certain hairstyle or a certain outfit,

And in another outfit I don't feel so good.

Maybe I lack confidence in front of certain people,

And yet with others I can express myself freely.

There are so many influences in our lives.

Keep thoughts about what you would be like if all those external factors were no longer influencing you.

Separate yourself from them and see your inner qualities.

Begin to feel the inner peace,

The strength and the love that are part of you and that are so strong that they cannot be influenced by the changing factors outside.

Create positive,

Powerful thoughts about yourself.

I,

As an individual,

Separate to all the many influences,

Have within me many treasures of qualities.

Allow yourself to enjoy being yourself.

I,

As an individual,

Separate to all the many influences.