Re-conditioning

What if everything that is currently in your life is there because you created it that way? Would you argue that it was because of this event or that person? Would you look outside yourself for the circumstances that led you to where you are? Or would you look inside of yourself to determine when and how you made the choices that led you to where you are now?

Sobering thought, isn’t it? Why would you ever create your life to be less than satisfactory? And yet, we all do it.

From the moment we are born, the conditioning begins. We enter the world, and before we are even over the shock of leaving the warm coziness of our mother’s womb and squeezing through the birth canal, our first contact is one of pain as the birth attendant spanks us to get the oxygen and blood flowing. In some unconscious corner of our mind, we remember that life is about pain and suffering.

Even in womb, we are subject to the emotions and moods of our mother. We share her blood. We are part of her body. All of the chemicals and enzymes that she releases are pumped through our system too.

For example, when I was waiting to be born, my parents lived with my maternal grandmother, primarily due to tight finances. Before I was even born, I was conditioned to the idea that lack of finances causes stress. This was reinforced as I was growing up, and it was a situation I created again and again in my adult life. It was familiar to me. It was not only familiar, it was one of the foundational points of my life. It just WAS, like the air that I breathe. In my unformed mind, I made a decision that lack of money equals stress.

Ironically, I found that my resourcefulness would come most to the fore during my most challenging financial struggles. This, too, was a learned behavior as I got to watch my parents come up with solutions to the challenges that confronted them, usually after emotional outbursts and much stress. Is it no wonder that my most resourceful solutions used to come from pressure?

What areas in your life are on automatic? These will be the most difficult to uncover as they are so ingrained that you don’t even realize that it is your unique perspective. You believe it’s the way things are.

As you become more and more aware of the unconscious conditioning, you will be more able to direct your attention towards your goals until it becomes a habit.