Day 129

Saturday July 18, 2020

On the whole, when it comes to the virus outbreak known as COVID-19, we are in the same place we have been for most of the month .  The world is navigating a pandemic caused by a virus primarily transmitted by human interaction. Infected aerosols which are passed from one person to another via conversation, sneezing, coughing or singing have led to outbreaks in nearly every country in the world and have resulted in 14 million cases worldwide while taking the lives of nearly 600,000. 

     The U.S. Brazil, South Africa and India account for two-thirds of the total cases.  Countries like Italy, France and Spain were hit hard and we lost many Spaniards, Italians and French. In the condition we find ourselves the only thing people are focused on is the future and the end of the pandemic. However, it may be a better to approach the current situation with the idea that this is the future.  By accepting the pandemic and it's prevention strategies we can ultimately cut down on the transmission and allow time to run it's course.  Time is an element  we do not control.  We like to think we do with clocks and watches and calendars, but the reality is time controls us.  We look to the future and the past more than the present.  And so we are mostly living through our subconscious minds and missing out on the conscious presence of ourselves, the people around us and the natural beauty that the world has to offer. By focusing on the now we can address the problems we face with viable solutions (wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands, sound familiar?).  This is not say by doing these things life will return to normal quicker, to think so you are missing the point.  The way the world is operating around the pandemic is the way the world will operate for a foreseeable time. The problem is the U.S. and other countries are not operating correctly.  This article from STAT is a valuable source of ways we can held slow the spread of the virus. https://www.statnews.com/2020/07/14/fix-covid-19-dumpster-fire-us/

Yesterday I spoke about finding quiet time with just your thoughts. Away from the continuous flow of negative garbage in the news and on our screens.  I want to take the time today to share more about your thoughts. I realize not all of us has complete control over our thoughts.  Well what I mean is we actually do have control.  You see our core beliefs, created from words spoken to us as well as our own thoughts, we believe as truths.  The program running in your mind is made of words spoken to you and words spoken by you. These words have molded you into the person you are today. In some cases that is, a confident, self-assured positive person who believes in all they do and has the confidence to take on goals and see them through. On the other hand some of us may feel like we are unsure of everything we do, we are not capable of taking on new goals for we will surely fail in our endeavor and we may feel as though trying is useless. 

Therefore, these thoughts, which we may repeat in our head, become the basis for our decisions.  If we believe we will fail, we will probably not take the risk in trying. Thus, we create a negative self-image and the belief system that we are a failure. These are beliefs we can change. They begin with “I” statements. Have you ever caught yourself saying something like, “I am no good at this” when in the middle of a project or taking on a new task? Often these beliefs are ingrained because someone made us feel this way. Someone said something negative to you and you believed it. Possibly repeated to you over several years. The undoing of this is not necessarily easy, but most definitely possible.

 These thoughts/beliefs are deep in your subconscious.  Most of the time you may not even realize they are there. The key is to move them from the subconscious to the conscious and change them.  First, you must be aware of what thoughts you have, particularly when they are negative. They usually upset us in some way. When you can catch those thoughts and feelings and ask yourself the reasons why you are upset.  In most cases, you will be able to trace the reasons back to the original thought or time when someone said words that hurt you.  We find them and change them. We create new thoughts based on new reasons.  Deep down we know these negative thoughts are not absolutes and will not occur every time.  Therefore, we manifest a new conditioning and tell ourselves:    “I am successful. I do things to the best of my ability and they usually turn out great!”

By rewiring our core beliefs into a positive self-language, we can switch our thinking into one that will help us rather than hinder us.

After watching the Bruce Lee documentary, Be Water, I started re-reading his book Striking thoughts-Wisdom for Daily Living.

 I initially read this during the school year. Each morning in my office, prior to teaching my first class, I would sift the book for inspiration and allow his words to influence my teaching. I found it to be uplifting and focusing. I often shared the words with my students in hopes of enlightening them to new philosophies on life. 

 Bruce Lee, on thoughts, "You are the commander of your mind... I realize that I am the power that commands the feeling of my mind and from which circumstances grow" In your mind you have the power to create your own circumstance. By not allowing outside influences to change your mind you keep control within and ultimately decide your future. Bruce again says, "The mind moves in response to the ten thousand situations, but remains ever the same"