EMPTY REFLECTION
We look but we don't see, or we see, but fail to act. The mirror can reflect inconvenient and sometimes painful truths about ourselves. It's taking the time to acknowledge these reflections, then more time to invest conscious efforts in addressing what we see, take action and then learn from our experiences.
The greatest tools for reflection are also the simplest to practice. We merely need silence. Allowing only 15-20 minutes for quiet meditation in the morning and again in the evening, will help us to cut through the chatter of the mind in order to set up and re-evaluate our day.
Our minds, much like computers perform, are constantly running 'programmes' which have imprinted information for running the hardware which we identify with as being 'me'. However, contrary to what we believe is our true selves, it turns out not to be the case at all.
We have a program running which is like the 'front-end' interface of an app or desktop computer. It's referred to as the ego. This ego, has been defined over our lifetime and the information it's founded on, has been imparted to us from our early guardians and cemented through our life experiences.
Often our parents or early carers, who have been the main programmers of this founding Ego programming, will determine how we perform and depending on our types of upbringing, the messages received, experiences had, plus the confirmation of our knowledge through peers and environment over time, we'll reinforce much of our early information into the ego programme. This becomes an attachment by which many define themselves.
Underneath the workings or the main ego programme, are the subconscious desires, fuelled by emotion and instinct. These are the real workings of the 'machine' in which we host, where we filter information through the various other programs, all running below our level of consciousness which is falsely masked by the Ego.
Many of the daily programmes running our lives, will become semi-autonomous. For example, waking, breathing, eating. We believe they are purely mindless actions, but these are actually patterns of learned behaviour, which, should we choose to manage, can be assessed and re-programmed for overall improvement. We can change our behaviour and improve the operation of the nervous system – even enhancing functions of the autonomic nervous systems.
Walking
– Are we pacing really fast and not taking in the beautiful surroundings?
– Are we carrying a heavy bag over one shoulder, affecting spinal alignment?
– Is our footstep heavy and negatively impacting the knee and hip joints?
Breathing
– How deep are our breaths?
– Are we breathing from the nostrils or mouth?
– Is the breath coming from our diaphragm or just the upper rib cage?
Eating
– Are we choosing the right kind and amount of food?
– How many times are chewing and are we assimilating with enzymes correctly?
– Have we allowed time to eat and digest when relaxed?
Tasks for the body's survival and general fulfilment of its needs may be running in the background, but how much notice are we taking of the signals? What impact will there be on the body if we ignore the signs, avoid taking action and don't re-programme our behaviours? It's important to pause, reflect and work on what's best for you and sometimes 'you' can be the obstacle in the way of making the right decisions.
When ego programming has become so strong in decision-making, we tend to form very fixed ideas about who we are, what we need to do and what's best for us – which all may be completely wrong for our well-being. When this happens, life can put up a mirror to our faces – a reminder for change.
Breaking The Programming
Dr Joe Dispiaza has been at the cutting edge of research into hacking the body's systems for breaking harmful patterns, habits and behaviours. Essentially, we are often too quick to dismiss our inner feelings and desires, because we've learned patterns of behaviour which can be very difficult to undo.
Even faced with serious illness or even death, chronic sufferers of diabetes, heart disease and other forms of illness resulting from bad habits or over-consumption, will initially take measures to address problems, but quite often, will revert to the same programming that caused the problems in the first place.
Joe Dispiaza has meditation guides online for free and some great books to read on how to take back control of our minds. Two of the other leading Doctors in the field of human psychology are Robert Trivers and Dr Daniel Kahneman – who address the very real problems or self-deceit, lazy thinking, cognitive biases and the general infallibility of our mind to store trustworthy memories.
Again – knowing we have deceptive ways and intelligently understanding the workings
of our complex minds, are useful for comprehension tools, but are simply not enough to encourage us to take positive action. We may lack the discipline and dedication to counter the ego in order to undo the destructive programming. Often, the most well-educated and seemingly brightest people, are the worst affected. This is why society has overweight health practitioners, alcoholic scholars and morally corrupt authoritarians.
Third-Party Mirrors
Sometimes, the only way to break free from ourselves, is to employ the services of professionals. Society has rules in place to protect us and we employ police and judges to enforce these rules. Effectively, we are the police, the judges and the common people all enrolled in one, but we may not have the best workforce on our team and that's why leadership by example is so rare.
We can pay for life coaches, personal trainers, psychiatrists and therapists. Or we can save the money, do it ourselves and improve our self-discipline, self-respect and confidence at the same time.
By diligently following a daily ritual over a minimal 30-day period, we can unlock the habits which harm us and even stop them from coming back. Certain religious festivals are good motivators for positive abstinence, which encourage commitment to reaching short-term goals, plus elevate our awareness for feeling gratitude, kindness & greater compassion towards ourselves and others, through continued self-reflection. Even if we are not followers of any religion, some of their practices really can encourage us be better people.
Lent is likely one of the greatest markers we can follow for self-awareness. The start dates for Lent are in the winter around mid to late February and end after a 40-day period, coinciding with the beginning of Spring. After the extravagances of Christmas and celebrations are over from both Western and Chinese New Year, this period is an ideal opportunity to make reflective changes.
However we choose to reflect, the benefits of looking ourselves square in the eye, understanding the requirements for maintaining and improving our lives and doing more to help ourselves and those around us, will attract greater spiritual, physical and mental as well as financial rewards.
