Month: May 2017

The word Karma is often used in a spiritual sense, yet psychologically it means so much more than we realise. By going against our values we can be hindering our goals and efforts because subconsciously we don’t believe that we deserve what we are seeking. And so the rabbit hole begins.

Let’s start off with the simple stuff. Eastern beliefs are more spiritual in their structure and karma is not restricted to this life. Instead it follows us into the next life which explains why some people are born worse off than others. The whole idea is that we clear our karma by learning our lessons and experiencing life each time we are reborn. In the scriptures it is written that we are somewhat imperfect, and that we are going through all of these lives becoming purified until finally we are cleansed. In the end we no longer require being reborn. This is of course a simple overview.

The western beliefs, although still viewed spiritually, don’t look into previous lives. Instead they talk about causality, or otherwise known as cause and effect. This simple principle states that if you do something bad then bad things will happen to you to even out the universe. Doing good also has the same effect.

Now, there are some people in this world that appear to get away with murder whilst others will do one little thing wrong and appear to pay pennants for the rest of their lives. It seems unfair that some get by so easily whilst others get off scot free. And although I would like to tell you that the bad guys will get their comeuppance in the end, unfortunately, this is not what always happens. So is karma just a myth?

Although dumb luck can play a part in this life, mostly karmic damnation is caused by our high standards mixed with our morals and values. If our mind believes that we are not worthy of our existence, or that car, or that hot blonde or whatever, then our manifestation is interrupted. It is then that our perception of reality reflects what we believe we deserve.

What I am saying here is that some people get away with murder quite simply because they don’t believe that they have done anything wrong. Or even if they do believe that they have, they justify their actions. In their mind they have done their best having been dealt the cards they were given.

And now let’s look at the flip side. Let’s say you find money on the ground and rather than handing it in your keep it for yourself. Despite the fact that you may need this money you have crossed a personal value. Apart of you starts worrying if the person who lost it really needs it back and you are riddled with guilt. It is then that little things begin to happen to you. You stub your toe on the side of the bed, you bight your lip, you don’t pay attention when people are talking to you and generally you feel off. Now this must be karma right?

Well, in many ways it is. Your guilt has lowered your perception of your own self-worth. You are now focusing on negative things that occur during the day to justify your own perception of yourself. You have become your own judge, jury and executioner. Yet it’s not the universe causing your Karma, it’s you.

The equation in life can be broken down quite simply. We do things for pleasure and/or to avoid pain. Also, the reason why we have morals and values is to avoid possible pain. Therefore, the moment we cross a line by doing something that we deem to be wrong, we link pain to what was originally pure. This has now made our cause unjust. The mind now needs to justify our value/moral by believing or focusing on a negative response to the behavior. It is only once the penance has been received that the world appears to balance itself out and the person can continue on their way. Or at least, that’s what we tell ourselves.

In short, karma is in the eye of the beholder. Emotions linked to past memories impact life daily. Therefore if you believe that you have done something wrong, and therefore need to pay your dues, you probably will. This will either happen because you subconscious takes you there, or possibly, it might never happen, yet because you believe you need to pay for what you have done, you will take a random negative event and say ‘SEE! That was karma coming to get me!’

So what did we learn today? Firstly, we have to be aware of the power of the mind. Making things happen that we want in life will be difficult if we don’t believe we deserve better. And secondly, if we do something wrong we have to be careful with how hard we judge ourselves. Mistakes are learning experiences. They are not a reason to give ourselves the Spanish Inquisition. The more we judge ourselves and have self-hate the more the more we work against what we want in life. So give yourself a break, have a kit-Kat

If you’re into goal setting inevitably someone will tell you that you should try a vision board and/or a mantra. But do they work?

The answer once again falls into the category of perception and focus. I can say that such things do work, yet not only do you have to use these processes properly, you also have to believe in what you are doing. But I am already jumping ahead of myself. Let’s start from the beginning.

For those who may not know what a mantra is, it’s repeating a sentence over and over again. Buddhists do it to focus their meditation, yet nowadays people have been using it to guide their focus towards what they want in life. It is now the case that every Tom, Dick and Spaceman has their own technique on how to use mantras. But rather than going into the various ways of doing them, let’s look at how and why they can work.

A while ago I talked about neurotransmitters. During this discussion I explained how repeating a habit (such as smoking) causes stronger neurotransmitters in the brain. In fact, with smoking, the simple action of lifting a cigarette to your mouth becomes part of the addiction because it has been repeated so many times. Yet another reason why smoking is so addictive (beyond the addictive substances themselves) is because people often link emotions to their habit. I’m upset so I’ll have a cigarette, I’m full so I’ll have a cigarette, I’m bored so I’ll have a cigarette, and so on and so forth.

Okay, so you don’t smoke. But do you stroke your beard, tap your pen on the table, cross your legs from left to right, or have a reoccurring saying or trait? This is a trick question because we all do and that’s part of becoming who we are. So if traits such as these can be obtained through simple day to day living then why can’t we create our own traits and beliefs through mantras? That’s a very good question…

Mantras are used by many people to do just this. Yet setting up a powerful mantra in your life is not something that can be done overnight. It takes work and dedication over months to create new neurotransmitters and enforce them daily. Furthermore you can’t just say it, you also have to believe it. Saying words openly over and over again will not do much at all. You may as well be repeating ‘The Lonely Spaceman is a dull boy’ because you will get the same result as your own incarnation.

Mantras require context and an emotional state. Saying ‘I am happy’ can only create positive reactions to your psyche if you bring in positive memories, thoughts and feelings with the mantra. If you repeat this daily for months (feeling the emotions as you do this) you can get multiple benefits. Firstly you can begin to automatically feel happy during the specific time of day you normally repeat this mantra. Secondly, each time you are stressed, you will find that repeating your mantra will bring you back to this happier place quickly and without much thought. The words now create your emotional status and this is because they are linked within your subconscious mind.

Vision boards work the same way. Looking at a picture each day without context will not make something happen in your life. I had Elle Macpherson on my wall and she still doesn’t return my calls. Does anyone remember her? Anyway, the vision must come with a mission. By asking not only what you want but also understanding why you want it (as discussed in the previous blog) which includes the emotions you seek, you gain more focus and drive.

So to recap, how do these two things actually work?

It’s an old saying but it’s a good one. What you focus on you head towards. And if you direct your focus towards one specific thing over and over again eventually your direction becomes automatic. It is then that your subconscious will begin to justify, react to or offer you part of what you are seeking. Doors will open automatically and your mind will see things that can guide you down the path you desire.

Spiritually this is your soul guiding you where you are destined to go. Scientifically, this is your subconscious justifying the reality that you created through your mantra. You may read into things that are not there, or rather, you may pick up on aspects of life that you would normally neglect.

For Mantra’s and picture boards to be effective, being present and aware is key. Being reactive and lost within your ego each day cuts down your objectivity and your focus. The most dominant emotion in the present moment will take over your focus and lead you down different paths than the one you want. Therefore, the more you are present and alert to what is happening around you the more you will see movement in the direction you are trying to manifest.

Faith is also important. If you start doing one of these techniques yet don’t truly believe that they work then quit while you’re ahead. You can’t convince the mind of something that you have already decided (within your mind) doesn’t work. Furthermore, it is important to keep within your morals and values during this process. Crossing over your morals will taint your resolve and bring bad karma to the mind. Or in more scientific terms, going against your values will begin to alert your subconscious that your focus is not as righteous as you originally thought. The mind will then question the direction you are heading (as it believes it will lead to pain) and stop the progress you have been making.

Before the next blog please remember, your entire journey towards your goal will never be completely easy or without its burdens. This is part of the ride and getting disheartened is natural at certain points in life. We all fall off the horse. Yet as long as we get back on and keep using our techniques we will eventually find ourselves moving forward again.

Good luck on your plans and if anybody has Elle’s phone number please pass mine onto her, I think she has lost my number…

In this blog we are going to cover the core purpose of this chapter. And it all has to do with living in the future. (sorry on the delay everyone)

When people buy a house it can mean so much. Financial independence, the end of worrying about the future, a family, an easy life, peace, security and many other dreams as well. But is this really what happens?

I had a work mate (let’s call him Dave) who bought a house for all the reasons that everyone buys a house, because he was supposed to… Dave worked two jobs simultaneously over 15 to 20 years of his younger life. During this time his partner left him (as he wasn’t around), he missed most parties and social events during his 20’s and 30’s as he was working to pay off his debt, and in the end his stress gave him high blood pressure. When I first met Dave he would gloat about his ownership for one minute before going on to tell me about how wasteful the youth of today were.

Now this isn’t the case for all home owners though Dave had clearly missed the point. He was sold on the idea that a house meant everything. He talked about freedom, security and having power yet during the whole time I knew him, this was not his reality. The bank still had his house, he was worried about people robbing him and he had given up his social freedom and independence. If this is the great Australian dream please give me a smashed avo anyday!

The Point: Dave was so focused on a goal in the future that he completely missed the only true reality that exists, the present. His goal represented security and independence, though until he actually paid off his loan he lived in stress, isolation, insecurity, anger, frustration and worry. Though this isn’t the worst part of his story, the worst part is that when Dave finally reaches his goal he will do what most others do in this situation. After a week of fishing or going on a holiday he will get bored and set another goal such as setting up his super, buying a beach house, getting a camper van and so forth. He will then become the bitter man once again and his life will always be about chasing the dream and never actually living it.

This story doesn’t just reflect housing. How many of us can’t wait to get to the weekend? That means that we waste 5 out of every 7 days each week PAINFULLY getting though our hopeless existence at our work (I am obviously using a dramatic affect here). How many of us need to plan a holiday to feel meaningful? How many souls are waiting to earn the right amount of money to be satisfied, validated or secure? And how many of us need a lover to feel whole? See, the chase never ends because when we reach our goals we realise that what we truly want isn’t there. And although we can sometimes feel satisfied with our achievements, it never lasts. Therefore we spend most of our lives living for a future and never living our truth (pause for dramatic effect).

Setting future goals is fine. It’s a natural part of living in the 9 to 5 world. Yet many Eastern ideals focus on the present and see our plans for the future as being the basis of ego and suffering. Yet if this is true then how do we combine a reality of a life full of goals with the knowledge that we need to live in the present?

It’s an old saying though it’s one that’s very prevalent to this discussion. Life is about the journey, not the destination. If we can only feel happiness, satisfaction, worthiness, control, security and/or love at the end of the rainbow, then obviously our whole life will be chasing the dream. And although this constant yearning for something more can satisfy our surface needs, it doesn’t fill our inner void.

So what do we do? We take on a journey (or goal), realise what emotions we perceive we will get from reaching our goal, change our approach, and then feel these emotions during the pursuit of our goal rather than only feeling them at the end. Our life will then be a life of living rather than a life of waiting.

By looking into our goals and realising what we are truly seeking, it may either make us change what we are after, or alternatively, change our approach.  If we are seeking fame and we want to feel loved then we can still join X-factor. Though maybe we can also witness our surroundings more, realise the joy we get from family members and those that support us, we can stop and smell the roses and make friends with those on the journey with us. We can take note of how beautiful the moment is and embrace the excitement rather than focusing on our nerves and eagerness to be successful, which inevitably can lead to remorse, frustration and inner turmoil.

The fear of failure, the smell of defeat and the shame of not attaining our goals can’t exist if we are reaching our desired purpose whilst on the journey. Our future success is no longer prominent because we are already successful by living our dream each day on the journey, therefore, making the final result nothing more than an event in our lives.

The way to work goals is to make the journey work for you. 99% of this world is the path towards our goals, so why should we wait till the final 1% to reek the rewards? That means we spend almost all of our life waiting… So instead, we can choose a life where the journey is where we live.