Our memories. the things that have happened to us all form part of our influences, perceptions and beliefs that are unconscious mind accepts as ‘Truths’. We know, from last week’s newsletter, just how powerful the unconscious mind is……so if these ‘truths’ are really not ‘truths’, and our unconscious mind is shaping our behaviours based on these ‘truths’, its really easy to see how we get stuck in some negative patterns of behaviour!
Why might our memories not be Actual Truths? Well, how many times have you told a somewhat amusing story about something that happened to you, each time you tell that story it changes a little, parts are slightly exaggerated to make it a bit more amusing etc etc – eventually you believe the new version yourself, you see it as the Truth.
This can happen with any memory, when we are remembering something that happened, it is from OUR perspective, we interpret whatever the event is based on OUR beliefs so that it makes sense to us – that’s simply what human beings do, we make ‘sense’ of things. This could be very different from someone else who witnessed the same event, or even very different form what actually happened.
(This is why the courts are relying less and less on witness statements}
Lets relate this back to last week’s example – weight loss- say you have a memory of being a slightly overweight child, you remember your mum making a comment about ‘watching what you eat’ – this memory over the years becomes bigger and bigger in your mind, you thought about it a lot and each time the remark was more hurtful, you start to remember it as your mum always nagging you about your weight, you start to associate it with not being as slim/attractive as your sibling and so it goes on. You’ve now programmed your unconscious mind that you have a weight problem, always have had and that you’ll never be slim enough/attractive enough etc………so when as an adult you go on a diet, why then are we surprised we fail……the unconscious mind is wielding its power over you again, you unconsciously believe that you have a weight problem and will never be slim!
Remember the unconscious mind NEVER questions the validity of what we put in there! That is incredibly important – whatever you put in your unconscious mind it will act as if it’s a TRUTH- if you constantly tell yourself you are overweight, the unconscious mind accepts that as fact…..when you look in a mirror you will see an overweight version of yourself, whether you are or not!
Like I said last week, the unconscious mind is a powerful beast!
Unless we change our unconscious minds, behavioural change is exceptionally difficult!
Awareness is the first small step towards making any changes 🙂