October 6, 2021
In this article we look at change and how we can exercise it consciously.
If you've been following my blog for a while, you may have picked up on an idea that I have been hinting at, but not stating explicitly until now.
This is the 'Principle of Conscious Change.'
This principle states that you cannot make changes unless you are aware of what you are thinking or doing, and that it needs to change.
Once you are aware you can make a conscious decision to change it.
For instance, you may have a habit that doesn't serve you, such as overeating, smoking or a heavy reliance on alcohol.
You keep doing it over and over because you are not aware that it is not serving you.
Indeed, we all have a great repertoire of behaviours to keep us unconscious!
It's only when you become aware of the downside of this behaviour that you 'might' become aware of it and think to change it.
Indeed, awareness of these behaviours actually hastens their demise.
The Key To Conscious Change
The key is be to be aware and observant of the behavior that doesn't serve us.
However, this can be harder than changing the behavior itself. It requires us to 'step outside ourselves' to observe what is going on from an 'external' perspective.
When this happens, many non-resourceful behaviors disappear over time. More resourceful ones replace them and bring peace and happiness to your life.
The good news is you can do this with a few simple tools such as:
- A thought journal - spending time each day to write out your current thoughts helps bring them to the fore and thus be more conscious.
- Asking a trusted friend or colleague. The key here is the other person is trusting and has your interests at heart.
- Meditation, yoga and other ways of calming the mind (also called 'mindfulness').
All of these have their benefits and their drawbacks.
A Simple Way To Meditate
The problem with meditation is that it often takes years to develop a keen sense of self awareness.
However there are shortcuts that can assist with this.
One such method involves 'binaural beats'. This is where sound waves of a certain frequency are combined in such a way that there are 'beats' that synchronise with your brain wave frequency.
Throughout the session these waves are reduced in frequency down to levels where your awareness increases significantly.
You become aware of the world around you and of your own thoughts.
The entire process takes no more than an hour, compared with traditional forms that take hours!
If you would like to learn about a way to reach meditative states quickly, check out this link: it includes a free e-book telling you about how it works.