Things happen to us. We are affected by relationships, work and community experiences. And, we build on the patterns established in childhood. There is an abundance of research that links our adult experiences with adverse and constructive experiences throughout childhood. Trauma also changes things.
In these experiences, we develop habitual thinking about ourselves, or, as Thich Nhat Hanh calls it, habitual energy. If we have been told repeatedly that we are strong, weak, a winner, a loser and so on, we incorporate those experiences into our self identity. We begin to interpret what happens to us through the lens of these beliefs.
We even go so far as recreating situations to reinforce the beliefs. We do things to keep that identity going. This can be a real problem if that identity is over or under inflated. Yet, most of us have harmful beliefs about ourselves to some extent, along with supportive beliefs.
We get stuck in harmful beliefs because we believe them and are attached to them. Even though we are often aware of the harm they are doing, we are still attached to them because they have become how we think - it's a pattern.
Meditation affords us an opportunity to just look at these habits. Rather than react to them, we step back back and observe what they are doing. It can challenge us to look at the emotions and beliefs that we are stuck around.
In these experiences, we develop habitual thinking about ourselves, or, as Thich Nhat Hanh calls it, habitual energy. If we have been told repeatedly that we are strong, weak, a winner, a loser and so on, we incorporate those experiences into our self identity. We begin to interpret what happens to us through the lens of these beliefs.
We even go so far as recreating situations to reinforce the beliefs. We do things to keep that identity going. This can be a real problem if that identity is over or under inflated. Yet, most of us have harmful beliefs about ourselves to some extent, along with supportive beliefs.
We get stuck in harmful beliefs because we believe them and are attached to them. Even though we are often aware of the harm they are doing, we are still attached to them because they have become how we think - it's a pattern.
Meditation affords us an opportunity to just look at these habits. Rather than react to them, we step back back and observe what they are doing. It can challenge us to look at the emotions and beliefs that we are stuck around.
“We are not trapped by our thoughts. What we generally do, however, is create thoughts that trap us.” (p.162)” Joshua David Stone - A Beginners Guid to the Path of Ascension
Can we see the beauty amongst the prickles of our life?
Stuck
Did I choose the silly putty
or the Crazy Glue
It feels like its here
forever
Maybe so
Then what do I do
with it
Ignore it
Make friends with it
Attack it
Or
Redefine it?
© Peter Choate, 2016
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