CHAPTER 5 – REPROGRAMMING MY SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

Over a three month period I eliminated the things from my life that didn’t represent or reflect who I am (refer to Chapter 3). I replaced them with activities that I loved to do (refer to Chapter 4).

This process, as simple as it may sound, sent me through extreme highs and lows. During the elimination phase I felt lost and was overwhelmed by fear, panic and depression. During the replacement phase, when I explored, discovered and incorporated activities that I loved into my day-to-day routine, there were periods of pure joy and bliss.

Emotional interference and faulty beliefs

However, despite all the positive changes I’d made and the emotional release work I’d done, old fears about practicalities such as – How would I pay my bills? – endured. Deep down I didn’t believe that I could make a living doing things that brought me joy.

Sadly, my old, unhealthy model of a successful life had always equated to hard work and didn’t include enjoyment or fun. Instead, I worked so that I could experience pleasure through material things such as a luxurious home, designer clothes, decadent hobbies and extravagant social occasions. I was of the belief that unless I saw progress for the effort I’d put in, I considered the activity self-indulgent and a waste of my time. As a result, work had become my life.

However, this was all being challenged. On one hand, seeking happiness and fulfilment through material things had left me feeling empty. On the other hand, embracing the things that I loved brought with it feelings of both pleasure and pain. For example, whenever I spent time in my local park knitting and listening to lectures I found inspirational, it felt great to be alive. I would become so absorbed in the moment that I lost all sense of time. However, the moment it was time to pack up and go home, feelings of guilt and anxiety would begin to take over because this activity hadn’t generated any income and I couldn’t see how they could do so in the future.

But, experiencing such bliss and aliveness in those moments, made it difficult for me to return to the hollow life I’d been living. However, I didn’t know how to overcome my fears and negative self-talk in order to move forward.

Discovering the power of the subconscious mind

Coincidently, many of the lectures and books I’d been drawn to were centred around the power of the subconscious mind and provided me with a deeper understanding of the mental anguish and inner conflict I was experiencing. By listening to these types of lectures, I learnt more about how the human brain and mind works and began to develop a deeper understanding of the notions of the conscious and subconscious minds.

I was introduced to the concept that our ‘perception’ of life is based on our early childhood experiences and learned behaviours passed down from our parents and caregivers. This provided me with an insight into my own patterns of behaviour and why my life was unfolding in the way it was.

For instance, my father was a workaholic. He was a full-time teacher, held down a part-time job as a projectionist at the local movie theatre and ran a photography business on the side. When he wasn’t teaching, he spent all his time either in the darkroom, or away from home photographing weddings or pursuing one of his many hobbies (which included making home movies, flying and horse riding).

I realised that I had unconsciously followed in his footsteps. I, too, had worked full-time (which included on call and weekend work), whilst holding down a part-time job and running a small business on the side, which was based on one of my hobbies.

I could see too, that my feelings of guilt which arose whenever I enjoyed myself, stemmed from my mother finding my fathers hobbies self-indulgent and a waste of time and money. My fear about not having enough money in order to survive (regardless of how much money I earned or had saved), was a direct correlation to my mother’s fear of not knowing how she would make ends meet when she suddenly became a widow and single mother of four.

My teachers (listed on the right) helped me start to understand and see that my experience of life was a projection of my childhood experience and learned behaviour. They helped comprehend that my day-to-day reality was simply a reflection of the story I’d created about my life. What I ‘believed’ to be true about life. Not what was true or indeed possible.

Creating a new reality

What I found most exciting was the concept that the story could be changed. I learnt that by changing my beliefs, my reality would also change.

This was a significant moment for me. A turning point in my life.

I embarked on a journey to reprogram my subconscious beliefs. I discovered tools and techniques that allowed me to interrupt my habit of spiralling into negativity and depression. I also began using methods to seed more uplifting thought patterns into my subconscious mind. I found practices that helped alleviate my fears so that I could take actions that were more in alignment with the person I am at a core level.

A four-pronged approach for changing the print out of your life

I adopted a four-pronged approach of consciously working with my thoughts, beliefs, actions and feelings to reprogram my subconscious mind. This process can be summarised as follows:

The result

Embracing these methodologies over a period of approximately three months was life-changing. I began to see beauty everywhere. Something within me changed at a very deep level and it had nothing to do with my external environment (as there had been no change in my physical surroundings or personal circumstances). But the inner sense of deep peace and contentment was long-lasting.

This profound inner shift allowed me to understand that reprogramming the subconscious mind is the key to overcoming fears, doubts, insecurities, feelings of guilt, negative self-talk, and self-limiting behaviour that is holding us back from living a life that is a true and full expression of ourselves.  As a result reprogramming my subconscious mind has become my highest priority. The methodologies outlined above are the basis for the way I now live my life.

The biggest surprise? By allowing myself to embrace the things I enjoy the most and explore the things that inspire me, I have been drawn to information, tools and techniques that I know will be the foundation of what will be taught at the spiritual retreat I dream of building (refer to Chapter 2).

I want to share this information with as many people as possible. I want everyone to easily and readily access the teachers and resources that have led me to experience this fundamental inner shift. I feel called to do so.