Saturday, December 12, 2009

Living the Abundant Life Yet...? What Excuses May Be In The Way...? (Part IV)

" ... Change will just take tooooooo long."

"I don't have time to change ..."

"I'm getting too old to change -- can't teach an old dog new tricks."


Ohhhhhh yeah. Been there, done that. Still creeps up on me.

And so I ask myself this question, posed by Dr. Dyer: "If you wish to elevate your life, it really doesn't matter how long it takes, does it?"

Let's say it takes me two years to focus on a particularly limiting thought-habit, become aware of it, examine it, expose it, question it, and have it replaced with truth. After those two years, I shall be 50. I'm going to be 50 in two years regardless, whether I still have that unexamined thought-habit or not. Why *not* spend those two years in more freedom, rather than passively allowing the continuation of limitations?

And -- good news here -- so far, when I've set out to uncover a limitation (to expose a lie), it's *never* taken two years...! In my experience, the moment I intend to replace a lie with truth, the process begins, and whether it happens in a moment (ala Theophostic or The Work, or a God-download), or it happens over time, the truth and resulting freedom are *inevitable*.

If I intend it, it happens, whether my intention is to change, or to remain entrenched. Make no mistake, thinking "I *can't* change" is an intention that becomes reality...!

One thing I'm becoming more and more aware of ... is that we all only live in the moment. The past is gone - the future never comes. My *MIND* may travel to the past or future, but it's only happening in the moment-at-hand. The question is, how do I want to spend the precious moment-at-hand...?

I notice that I built negative habits (of thought or of deed) one moment at a time. So, too, can I build new, positive habits.

Stop -- did you just have the thought, "Yeah, but I have to become AWARE of my negative thought-habits - if I'm unaware, than I'm stuck!"

Do you realize that that's an excuse? A limiting belief? Do you realize you have a *choice* in what you think, and what you believe?

Do you WANT to become aware of your limiting, negative thoughts...?

Have you expressed this, to God and yourself?

Do you realize that you are here, were led here, to read this, which is reminding you that you have, and can become aware of, your own negative thought-habits...?

Do you see that the process of freedom is happenING, right now, this moment?

Do you see, or can you entertain the possibility, that you ARE on the path to freedom...? Can you choose to trust that process, to thus participate in that process?

Like the blossom that gives way to the fruit, you just have to BE.

And ... is it your business to lead you into truth, or is it the business of the Spirit? Can you trust Him? do you?

If you don't yet, do you know you can choose to trust...?

To quote the Tao Te Ching,
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."


What can you do/think/question/believe in THIS present moment, that aligns you with that journey...?

Try imagining that you ARE on that journey, because you have the desire to be ... and know that God gives you the desires of your heart (He both gives you the desire in the first place, AND brings it about to fruition).

Bloom on! Be fruity!

Shalom, Dena

(Next: "If I change, family drama will result!"

9 comments:

Harry Riley said...

Yep. We're so amazingly good at developing bad thought habits, 'cos of all those lies we believed about ourselves, but when we're presented with Truth we say it's too difficult!

What silly folks we are:)

Five Bears A-Blogging said...

Funny, Dena, I just posted about habits before reading your Part IV. Great minds and all :) - Mo

http://fivebearsablogging.blogspot.com/2009/12/rolling-marbles-and-sliding-tiles-part.html

Dena said...

Just read and commented, Mo ... love that we're in sync!

Dena said...

Silly-yet-endearing, dear Harry!!! (glad to see you hanging out here -- missed your smiling persona!)

Harry Riley said...

If only we could all see just how endearing we are in the eyes of Love, our Creator. World's Problems Solved Overnight.

Do drop by my place when you've time, my appreciative friend:) -

businessofisness.blogspot.com

Jeannette said...

I've always been driven to escape from my egoic prisons. I would try one thing and then another until I came to the truth. My realization to the truth is what set me free from my former food addiction. I tried the eliminationists... I tried OA... I tried it all. There was always something that didn't ring true and none of it set me free. I knew that continuing to say, "I'm a food addict" kept me a food addict.

I'm wondering if we actually need to be aware of our negative thoughts to change them? What if we are using too much energy aligning ourselves with finding out the negative instead of opening ourselves up to the positive? Just a thought.

What if we are just aware that we have a block but don't actually need to find the source of that block but instead just move over so the block isn't in our way anymore?

Dena said...

Good question, Jeannette-- and I don't know. In my experience, when I've been shown a block (when I become aware) it's been for the purpose to question it ... "is that true?" (whatever it is that I believe that *allows* the block in the first place).

I figure, if I'm meant to live the Abundant Life, and I'm not, then I've chosen to believe something that's in the way. I don't want to learn to cope with a lie, but to live in truth. I've had my share of limping ... but I see that Jesus said to rise and walk, not limp as best we can.

I wonder if things such as Christitanity, and OA (which I was in for a dozen years) teach us limitations, such as "once an addict, always an addict" ... or that we can never truly be healed...?

I've experienced both coping better, and being set free ... I prefer the latter. But, I realize that for some things, it can take time before we're ready to look at what we really believe *about* that hindrance. It took me 21 years to be ready to face my beliefs about bulimia ... but when I did, it was instantaneously gone.

I'm not saying it's always this way for everyone or for all situations ... and maybe we have varying tolerances for various things...?

vertpaix said...

I'm just thinking that maybe if we can get out of our own way and not worry so much about the whys that we could focus on letting the positive in and it would remove the negative on it's own.

Dena said...

I do believe that's one way that it happens. I've also experienced being invited to intentionally participate ... that my previous (even if unconscious) choice is in the way ... and it seems I have to consciously revisit that choice, see that it's not (or no longer) true, and "choose again."

There's no blue-print, of course ... it's about following the leading of the Spirit, for each of us, for each situation.

No rules -- just relationship.