Sunday, May 4, 2008

Your Unconscious is Ripe for Gardening

James Arthur Ray, author of "Science of Success," put it rather eloquently in his book. Your unconscious and conscious minds are like the garden and gardener. The conscious mind is the gardener where thoughts from the outer world are formed while the unconscious is like the inner garden where they are deposited on a daily basis. We plant seeds of conscious thoughts in the unconscious mind and then if we choose to do so, water them with new thoughts, emotions, feelings and actions. Interesting analogy, isn't it?

What happens if our conscious mind is left to its own devices on autopilot? The unconscious becomes strewn with weeds and eventually becomes unwieldy, making it difficult to attract what you want in life.

When we become aware of ourselves, we automatically make different decisions, attract different people to match our inner vibration and carry ourselves differently.

You see, because I've become the consummate gardener in the quest to attract what I truly want, I've consciously raised my level of awareness of the choices I'm making on a daily basis.

In essence, I've become both an observer and the observed of Stephen J. Hopson.

Who?

Yes, in case you forgot my name, that's me.

"What!?!" you might say. Think about that for a moment.

If you make conscious choices, you're bound to become aware of your actions, thoughts and feelings, right? What could follow from that?

Number one, you become the observer. Why? Because you're now watching yourself think, process, behave, assimilate, react, etc.

Number two, you become the observed. Why? Because you're observing yourself being observed. Think of it this way, it's like having an out-of-body experience where you're not only watching yourself carry on but you also know that you're watching yourself.

Pretty cool, wouldn't you say?

A small yet significant example would be what happens when I reach for the TV remote control. Never before have I observed myself making choices when selecting a TV program or movie. In the past, I might have sleepily flipped through the channels until I found something that caught my eye without giving it much thought.

Nowadays I find myself saying things like, "That's too violent" or "Why would I want to watch a documentary on violent prisons?" In other words, because these are conscious thoughts, I make different choices. One of them includes taking the time to press "Info" on the remote control to find out more about the program, just like reading the labels on food packages in the supermarket.

This leads me to watching educational documentaries on the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet rather than a violent, senseless thriller. I tend to gravitate to programs like "America's Funniest Videos" or comedy shows. One of the guests on "The Secret" testified how she was able to eliminate breast cancer by watching hilarious "Laurel and Hardy" movies every day along with daily affirmations and prayers. There really is truth in the old adage that laughter is best medicine!

Why don't you try it right now! Pretend you are having an out-of-body experience. Take your conscious mind outside yourself and go to your living room or wherever you have a TV. Become the observed and observer and watch your thoughts and your actions while flipping through the channels. Do the same thing when carrying on a conversation with people - you'll see how you really think, behave, speak. This exercise will shock you! It'll feel a little weird at first but I guarantee you'll find it quite fascinating and potentially life-changing.

Not only do you become the observed and observer, you also bring to light deeply embedded beliefs that might have been created as a result of past religious practices. For example, growing up in a Catholic household exposed me to prayers like "not being worthy to receive Jesus."

That absolutely blew my mind to smithereens - no wonder I had struggles in the past with the notion of being worthy enough to to receive gifts, ask for what I want, accept compliments or enjoy abundance!

Food for thought: Are you becoming both the observed and observer by acting like a loving, caring gardener of your unconscious mind?

Profoundly deaf since birth, Stephen Hopson is a former award-winning stockbroker turned motivational speaker, author and pilot. He works with organizations that are ready to explore and overcome adversity because no one is immune from it - adversity does not discriminate. His professional speaking services, Obstacle Illusions, include fun and passionate presentations, especially the story of how his fifth grade teacher forever changed his young life with THAT'S RIGHT STEPHEN!

You can view his newly re-designed website at http://www.sjhopson.com

Stephen also maintains a blog called "Adversity University" at http://adversityuniversity.blogspot.com/

Rene Descartes

No comments: