What you believe, consciously and unconsciously, shapes your life. That may seem like a simple and blatantly obvious statement, but it is, in reality, trickier than you might imagine. I guarantee you that once you begin to probe, you will find the sticking points--the grounds--those demoralizing feelings about ourselves and others--the stuff we all keep buried. This is the mud that needs to be scraped up, looked at, and accepted (accept that it has been a part of you). Once you look at it and recognize it's existence, it is easier to then to pitch it, or, if you so choose, continue living a life based on these muddy tenets. What do you want your reality to look like? I wish this was all black and white, but of course there are nuances {aren't there always ;-}- Seth adresses these beautifully.
From The Nature Personal Reality:
It is true that habitual thoughts of love, optimism and self-acceptance are better for you than their opposites; but again, your beliefs about yourself will automatically attract thoughts that are consistent with your ideas. There is as much natural aggressiveness in love as there is in hate. Hate is a distortion of such a normal force, the result of your beliefs. ......natural aggression is cleansing and highly creative--the thrust behind all emotions.
There are two ways to get at your own conscious beliefs. The most direct is to have a series of talks with yourself. Write down your beliefs in a variety of areas , and you will find that you believe different things at different times. Often there will be contradictions readily apparent. They represent opposing beliefs that regulate your emotions, your bodily condition and your physical appearance. Examine the conflicts. Invisible beliefs will appear that unite those seemingly diverse attitudes. Invisible beliefs are simply those of which you are fully aware but prefer to ignore, because they represent areas of strife which you have not yet been willing to handle thus far. They are quite available once you are determined to examine the complete contents of your conscious mind.
If this strikes you as too intellectual a method, then you can also work backward from your emotions to your beliefs. In any case, regardless of which method you choose, one will lead you to the other. Both approaches require honesty with yourself, and a firm encounter with the mental, psychic and emotional aspects of your current reality.
You must accept the validity of your feelings while realizing that they are about certain issues or conditions, and are not necessarily factual statements of your reality. "I feel that I am a poor mother" or, "I feel that I am a failure". These are emotional statements and should be accepted as such. You are to understand, however, that while the feelings have their own integrity as emotions, they may not be statements of fact. You might be an excellent mother while feeling that you are very inadequate. You may be most successful in reaching your goals while still thinking yourself a failure.
By recognizing these differences and honestly following the feelings through--in other words, by riding the emotions--you will be led to the beliefs behind them. A series of self-revelations will inevitably result, each leading you to further creative psychological activity. At each stage you will be closer to the reality of your experience than you have ever been.
I have been in the trenches so to speak--looking into why I have certain (sometimes appalling) patches of discontent/self loathing/animosity, etc. I have found at least 1 very big contradiction that united opposite attitudes. The funny thing is--it all feels rather built-in. Like it has been there forever, surfacing as a bubble will--releasing it's relative poison, and then retreating below the polite civilized exterior surface. It is like a whispered utterance. Hush hush. Only now, do I catch these things, and when I do, I try to haul them above the surface--for a light of day looksee. This process has been gradual but I have found that those bubbles are now less frequent. The dialog has subtly changed. It seems to me that this self recognition is a lifelong process. Why not invest a little time in yourself. Equate it to a psyche massage--schedule it before your manicure, pedicure, facial. A good self image--a glowing reality, is the best cosmetic.
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