Principle #4: Interrupt Old Patterns Of Thought

This post is fourth in the series "7 Principles for Consciously Creating Your Life" on cultivating a life of joy, prosperity and abundance. Previous posts covered Living in the Now, Entering the Divine Mind, and Summoning Pure Desire.

For those of you who've been following this series on manifestation, you've probably noticed that rather than extolling the traditional model of striving, working hard, and exerting willpower, I'm suggesting a radically different approach. Manifestation can be easy, effortless and graceful...if we become present.

While our unruly minds make implementation difficult, the concepts are really quite simple: 1) become present in the moment, 2) access the infinite potential of the higher mind, and 3) allow your soul's desires to arise from the wisdom of that state. While we have a few more principles to cover, these are the starting conditions - moving beyond individual ego gratification into an expanded state of awareness - which are essential for conscious creation.

Unfortunately, this is the point where trouble often arises. For three weeks you've been willing to suspend doubt, to humor me while you gleaned the gist of where we're headed. Perhaps you even experienced a glimpse of omniscient mind during the meditation practices when...wham! A rush of thoughts and emotions flood in. "This sounds too good to be true, it's too simplistic, too idealistic, too whatever. It can't be that easy. I need to work hard to earn things. There's no free lunch."

These wayward thoughts - old emotions, subconscious beliefs, or conditioned thought patterns - keep us from believing we can attain unlimited abundance. They tend to fall into several categories:

Doubt. We've been conditioned to rely heavily on the rational mind to attain our goals. First we must create a plan, then acquire the resources to fulfill our plan, then execute it step by step. This linear sequence must be followed to accomplish our objective. If our new dream home costs $600K, for instance, we need to wait for the next promotion, then clean up our credit, then get approved for the mortgage, then, then... If any step in the sequence is unachievable, our dreams our dashed. Entertaining the possibility of creating in a non-linear fashion brings up massive doubt from the mind. "That sounds impossible. Nothing comes without hard work. If I don't control everything, things won't work out right." Releasing doubt is a necessary step to unlocking our creative potential.

Fear. Most of us live in a constant state of low grade anxiety - anxiety over relationships, family, career, health, finances. This anxiety, and our addiction to the swirl of underlying thought processes that generate it, keeps us trapped in mediocre lives. When we endeavor living into our full potential, fear can arise even more acutely. "What if I fail? What if I'm not good enough? What if my dreams are too bold and my heart gets broken?" We are often more afraid of stepping into our power and dreaming boldly, than of staying small.

Shame. Humans are the only species on the planet who worry about whether they are "deserving" of beauty, goodness and abundance. We hold destructive beliefs such as, "I'm not worthy to be successful. I don't deserve to be happy. I must fix all my flaws before I can be abundant." The nightingale doesn't question whether she deserves to have a beautiful voice -- she just sings. You should too.

So what can we do when drawn into the fear, doubt, shame or any other old thought pattern?

Practice radical gratitude. No matter where you are or how you feel, find something to be grateful for. Give thanks for life's small miracles, for a smile, or a sunset or for any of nature's wonders. Even if the only thing you can appreciate is your next breath, then give thanks for that. Slowly, let the appreciation grow inside you. Feel the heart open as your gratitude expands. Even the smallest spark of gratefulness, fanned with enough attention, can grow into a raging fire of appreciation.

Why do this? Because gratitude is a "pattern-interrupt". It is impossible to be in fear or negativity when we are filled with appreciation. Try it, it's quite extraordinary. Giving thanks centers us. Giving thanks brings us back into this moment. Giving thanks drops us into the heart and creates a natural detachment from the fluctuations of the mind.

Appreciation, acceptance, curiosity, joy. All these are natural "pattern-interrupts" which help us to dis-identify with disabling old thought routines. Once we detach our awareness from old patterns, we can see the higher truth -- fear, doubt and shame are not who we really are. They are simply ignorant thoughts that have momentarily captured our attention. There is no need to identify with these beliefs. Gratitude opens spaciousness within us, allowing a fresh perspective to emerge unsullied by past conditioning. Appreciation transforms our consciousness.

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami shares a parable about the transformational power of appreciation: A guru was sitting with two disciples under a sprawling banyan tree in India. The older student inquired, "Guruji, how long must I wait until I realize God?" The teacher responded, "Enlightenment is not something that can be predicted, but since you have asked," he leaned over and spoke in the right ear, "It will be twenty more lives." "Oh, no!" the youth cried in dismay, "I don't know if I can wait that long!" The other follower, naturally curious, asked of his own future. The guru whispered, "Liberation will come after you live as many lives as this banyan has leaves!" Hearing this, the seeker jumped to his feet and began to dance. Why? He was suddenly overcome by the assurance that he would ultimately be liberated. Ecstatic with appreciation, he transcended the mind and attained his liberation that very moment.

Appreciation offers the possibility of instantaneous transformation. If you experience any constriction this week, I invite you to practice radical gratitude. Here is an exercise to get started:

Giving & Receiving - The Tibetan Buddhists have a lovely practice called Tonglen, which means 'taking and giving'. The intention of Tonglen is to acknowledge the difficulties and struggles of being human and hold those challenges with the utmost care and compassion. We start by acknowledging ourselves and then expand out to widening circles - loved ones, family, friends, acquaintances, our community, nation, world, even to those we dislike or have challenges with.

Start by sitting comfortably, with eyes closed and spine straight, breathing naturally. On the in-breath, breathe in any challenges, constriction, fear or pain you might be feeling. Feel it being soothed and comforted by the energies of the heart. On the out-breath, breathe out love, compassion, and appreciation for yourself. Thank yourself for all that you do and for the preciousness of your being. Allow yourself to bask in this appreciation for as many rounds as you like. Next, expand your attention to your circle of close family and loved ones. Breathe in their struggles and challenges, allowing them to be held compassionately in your heart, then breathe out appreciation, acceptance, love or anything that would take away their pain. Honor and thank them for who they are.

At your own pace, continue to expand the circle to friends and acquaintances, repeating this process. When you feel ready, hold in mind someone whom you are in conflict. Without judgment, breathe in their pain, fear, and stuckness and hold them in your heart, then breathe out appreciation and understanding for them. Continue expanding to widening circles until you are holding the entire world in your attention, breathing in the suffering of humanity, and quietly breathing out love, appreciation, compassion and care for all beings. Breathe in and out for all of us.