It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a certain programming can take a hold on our minds; then our actions and moods.
We recently had some issues with plumbing which took months to find the root of before finally being resolved. Then suddenly, I saw water on the floor in the kitchen again and my programming immediately kicked in: the issue isn’t resolved; it’s a much bigger issue than we thought; here goes another 6 months of investigation and cost… etc.
It turned out it was me being careless when washing up and splashing water down beside the sink. Not the disaster my brain was trying to convince me of.
We can be like this with people and situations, too. Sometimes without even knowing it. Our subconscious tells us we’ve been here before and done that and it’s always been a disaster, so we should be wary/scared/reticent… When it becomes chronic, these feelings can turn into mentally challenging issues and even ill-health inducing syndromes. And all because of pre-programming which may or may not be true anymore.
I don’t have an answer here – every issue is different in intensity and import – but I do feel that when they arise, before we allow our brains to convince us of the worse, we should take a moment to challenge that belief. Even if it is similar, it probably won’t turn out the way it did before anyway.
Being open to a new, better outcome helps us to approach a situation with a fresh perspective. And it is my belief that it’s exactly through an open heart that new and better experiences happen to challenge our programming.
More like this? Buy a copy of Mark’s A Year of Thoughts and Pictures here