Optimistic

(8.3) Success depends upon spiritual power.

(8.4) Spiritual power depends upon use; use determines its existence.

Thought is spiritual power. Each moment of our lives we have the choice to consciously control our thoughts. Every choice we make counts because the habits of mind become subconscious patterns that affect our ability to percieve options with regards to the conditions we meet in life.

Those who are consciosly aware of their thoughts and options (freewill) and have the strength to make choices in support of their ideal state (willpower) are better off in every way.

Never Less Than Perfect

Craving and revulsion are physical (negative) expressions of divine (positive) emotions. The job of ego is to interpret tangible experience to intangible Self/essence. The nature of Self/essence is like a portion of water contained within the vessel of the physical body. All Self/essence (water) originates from the same source, which means that all physical identify is superficial. Water does not cease to be water when placed in a cup. Vessels create identity, and with identity comes judgement. We don’t compare water, we compare vessels.

(8.21) Every system of metaphysics depends upon a knowledge of the truth concerning ourselves and the world.

(8.22) The real “I” is spiritual and can, therefore, never be less than perfect.

Behavior Regulation is the unique feature shared by all religious and spiritual systems, and mimicked in politics. The Overman regulates their own behavior. They become a master over the impulses of the body, and in doing so, become a master oner the impulses of mind.

“Evil” is any mental or biological impulse/drive operating on a subconscious level that is not serving the greater good of the individual and their community.

“Good” is our recognition and ability to control our mental and biological impulse/drives. Recognition is consciousness.

This conflict between extremes is polarity, and forms the basis of all internal and external conflict.

Self doubt is an expression of polarity.

Self confidence is developed by cultivating will power. Begin each day stating a goal you must complete before evening. Start small. The important thing is to accomplish this task above anything else. Your ability to follow through with a task is your ability to move beyond ruminating mind into a mental state of liberation. With time, increase the challenge of your task to ensure you never let your confidence and ability wither.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Default Behavior

(5.6) Who we inherently are is the result of all our past thinking, both conscious and subconscious.

A generic search for “default” produced this definition: “a preselected option adopted by a computer program or other mechanism when no alternative is specified by the user or programmer.”

The “other” mechanism -in our case- is mind. The preselected option of mind is determined by habit. Conscious mind is the “programer” and our great power is our ability to choose how we concentrate our attention.

(8.17) Thought is spiritual and therefore creative. To consciously control thought is to, therefore, control circumstances, conditions, environment and destiny.

We are constantly inspiring others, regardless of our intention. How we deal with conditions in life projects to others a a subtle picture of our character. In many cases, they have no conscious recognition of this picture, although how another feels is largely due to the mental pictures they are unconsciously receiving.

Adversity is the best method to test out this superpower for yourself. When everyone around you is stressed, remain calm and see what happens. When those around you anticipate that you should be stressed, angry, or feel sorry for yourself, express gratitude. Watch what happens. Those around you will be inspired to think, act and feel differently about their own adversarial conditions. And when gratitude becomes your predominant mental attitude, it replaces your old default system and becomes the new one.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Growth

While our emotional reaction or response to past experiences may be the default position by which we filter new experience, we are not bound by this. A conscious decision to replace our “past” or “future” narrative is all is takes to transcend the default system.

Doing anything consciously means work, which is why we tend to do things that do not require conscious attention. We can entertain ourselves or be entertained. 

Ruminating mind enjoys activities that do not interfere with rumination. It is easier for mind to ruminate while being entertained (watching something) than by entertaining (reading, musical instrument).  Activities that demand our attention, especially one-pointed concentration, tend to be activities ruminating mind wants to avoid.

We will succeed at any activity that we can commit our attention to. Sometimes these activities easily capture our attention (sex) and other times we have to work at cultivating concentration, as may be the case for athletes and others who experience “the zone,” which is simply the suspension of ruminating mind and an increased ability to succeed and perfect whatever our attention is focused upon.

While change is not always optional, growth is. Growth requires taking the incentive to seek lessons from conditions and, in so doing, integrate knowledge we can gain.

(7.18) We may overcome all fear, lack, limitation, poverty and discord by substituting principle from error. 

 

Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Iceland

Rumination Filter

(7.11) The degree of harmony we attain is determined by our ability to appropriate what we require for our growth from each experience. 

The quickest way to transcend suffering and obliterate negative rumination is to attach value and meaning to conditions; to learn something. Value and meaning give purpose to hardship, and purpose is what mind is attempting to locate during rumination.Thus, if we can create or identify a lesson in our experience, mind will quit trying to come up with reasons to rationally explain what–in many cases–can not be rationally explained in a satisfying way.  More often than not, rumination involves reliving the past or imagining the future. Our rumination filter is the method by which we interpret all experience.  Our predominant mental attitude is the blueprint for the construction of our rumination filer.

Þingvellir, Iceland

 

Seeing Things For The First Time

(7.20) Many seem to think knowledge applies itself which is, by no means, true.

How did it happen?

Sometimes we can pinpoint exactly when a source point has been created. Source Points are when new dialogues are introduced.

There are four gross aspects of mind:

1. manas (mind)
2. citta (consciousness)
3. buddhi (intelligence)
4. ahamakara (conception of one’s individuality/ego)

(1) Thoughts or desires begin in mind. If we do nothing, the thought/desire ends. (2) If we deliberate or consider it, this is consciousness. (3) Intelligence decides wether to pursue thought/desire. (4) If we pursue thought/desire into reality, it is passed onto ego, an individuals sense of identity apart from others.

In some cases, the event is so insignificant that we are unaware a new dialouge has begun. These are the ones that most often highjack us-when our guard is down and we are relaxed. Just like a physical altercation, if you are relaxed, yoy will end up in better shape. So it is with a mental altercation. The catch is, this can also be a source point for suffering. Suffering is when you feel responsible for what was not in your control and avoid responsibility for what was. The longer you do either, the more intense your suffering. The sooner you resolve either, the sooner you can let go and move forward.

Progress happens when we integrate knowledge we have learned. Without progress, we will continue on the wheel of suffering. Many try to busy themselves with distractions or addictions. Some people do this to intentionally to hide from confrontation, others do this ignorantly because we can not see awareness they have never been aware of. This is why integration and transformation always seem so profound, because we are constantly seeing things for the first time.

 

Viðey, Iceland

 

Awareness of Opportunity

(7.16) Desirable conditions are secured by entertaining desirable thoughts only.

(7.77) Undesirable conditions are brought about by thinking, discussing and visualizing conditions of lack, limitation, disease, inharmony and discord of every kind. This mental photography of erroneous conception is then taken up by the subconscious and the law of attraction inevitably crystalizes it into objective form. That we reap what we sow is scientifically intact.

The greatest misconception about the law of attraction concerns the tendency to put the cart before the horse. The modern conception of the law of attraction is with regards to physical possessions or events. This is the great error.

When we speak of conditions we do not refer to physical/material conditions but states of being/consciousness. Our greatest power is our ability to control our state of being-our predominant mental attitude. More than anything else, our predominant mental attitude is responsible for creating states along the spectrum of inner peace through to inner catastrophe. These inner-states determine our perception and perception is awareness of opportunity.

We always have opportunity to control inner conditions. Often, a change of inner conditions will result in a change in outer conditions. If our awareness is limited, we are unable to recognize opportunity to instigate change. Inability is a reflection of our stubbornness or resistance to instigate change. Inability is a state of mind not an absolute truth.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

 

Insight Enables

Too often we look to situations beyond our control as the defining factors of our experience. Instead, we may begin to understand conditions as perceptions, or states of being.

Our purpose in life is to maintain our internal ecosystem. Sleep, hydration, nutrition, thoughts and exercise are all facets of this maintenance. As a part of nature, we will always be subject to forces beyond our control. This makes it so important to be ahead of the curve when it comes to what we do control. Being prepared mentally and physically ensures we are better prepared to face adversity when it arises.

(7.15) The law of love-which is the creative principle of the universe, adds vitality to thought while the law of attraction brings the necessary substance to growth.

(7.18) We can overcome every fear, lack, limitation, poverty and discord by substituting principle from error.

Pacific Ocean, Iceland

 

Tuning In

(6.7) Concentration is the highest personal achievement that can be acquired. It is the distinguishing characteristic of every successful person.

Mind is in a constant state of activity. Concentration is like tuning the radio dial so that you only hear one station clearly. This happens naturally when we are so completely absorbed in a situation that we are conscious of nothing else. More often than not, this takes work because it is rare to be so absorbed.

It takes work because mind is already active and we must consciously introduce a new dialouge that can drown out the rest.

(6.8) Concentration may be acquired by faithfully practicing mental exercise.

Mind is programmed to ruminate. As long as it’s ruminating upon a dialogue that supports our ideal state, we will benefit from this process.

Rumination is the process of mind that seeks to resolve the reason for phenomena.

Menntaskólinn við Sund, Reykyjavik, Iceleand

 

 

The Art of Gratitude

Mind is governed by learned behavior. Morality is an afterthought. To understand this is essential to transcend from the chaos of profound selfishness to the harmony of intentional boundaries (discipline). Removing chaos does not eliminate conflict, it gives conflict meaning, by providing the opportunity to learn. Learning, necessarily, involves integration.

Shame is a shadow emotion. Shame identifies and reinforces negative beliefs one may have of themselves. Just like anger, shame is usually misdirected towards others, in an attempt to deny dealing with the cause. Shame is an effect. If you want to change the effect, you must change the cause.

We may overcome adversity by channeling all emotion through a filter of gratitude. Gratitude is the art of recognizing how fortunate you already are.

Iceland