How do you know if something is true?
Do you take someone else’s word for it? Or do you need to prove it for yourself?
While I rely on others for advice and information, there’s no substitute for personal experience. Especially when I need to be convinced that something is legitimate.
That’s particularly true when the “something” in question is controversial.
Like raves.
Or gladiator sandals.
Or Mohawks.
Just for the record, if you ever see me at a rave, sporting gladiator sandals and a ‘hawk, you’ll know something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.
It’s easy to be led astray by the multitude of fads and schemes out there, which brings me to the topic of the day:
The power of the mind.
Yes, our minds are powerful. We all know that. But there’s a lot of folks out there making all kinds of claims about what our minds can do.
Movies like The Secret assert that all we have to do is visualize mansions and Mercedes, and they’ll pop out of the sky like magic gumdrops.
Is this true? Can this happen?
Yes and no.
As I’ve talked about in a previous post, there are limits to this kind of thinking.
So, how do we know what’s real?
Here’s how: We have to try it for ourselves.
When I first heard the idea that consciousness is creative, I thought it was completely batty. I was a rational soul, raised by scientists. I wasn’t into any woo-woo mumbo-jumbo.
But then something happened.
I had an experience at age 23 that clued me in to the fact that there was more to life than my limited, egoic view of the world. This experience catapulted me into a phase of experimentation.
I tried meditation. I tried affirmations. I tried changing my diet to clean up my body temple. I tried gratitude. I tried turning over my life to Something bigger than me.
And guess what?
It worked.
Not everything I tried worked, but a lot of it did.
And I didn’t take anyone else’s word for it. Everything I learned, I learned by doing it myself.
Along the way, I learned that my mind is incredibly powerful. I also learned that my mind, left to its own devices, isn’t nearly as effective as my mind in alignment with Something Bigger. (Thus, the limitations of movies like The Secret.)
Bottom line, don’t believe anything anyone tells you. Even me.
Try it out for yourself.
If you’re new to the woo-woo world, start with something easy. Like gratitude. Start a regular gratitude practice and see what happens.
If you’re a seasoned woo-woo veteran, amp up your existing practice.
Or try something new. Stretch yourself.
There are so many things to experiment with: Meditation. Visualization. Yoga. Affirmative prayer. Chanting. Fasting.
The best part is that we’re in charge. No one can tell us what to do.
Granted, the deeper I’ve gotten into the woo-woo world, the more I’ve come to rely on Something Bigger, but that Something is in me! And I know this because I’ve experienced it.
So go forth and experiment! Test out the idea that consciousness is creative!
There’s a whole world out there, just waiting for you to discover it.
Your world. Your experience.
Prepare to be amazed.
How have you experimented with the idea that consciousness is creative? What have you learned? Share your comments below!
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Loved this article. Each person must find the tools that work for them. Yes, we are all on the journey but each resonated to their personal journey.
Thank you,
Angela
Hi Angela,
Glad you enjoyed the post. I like that you point out the importance of each person needing to find their own way, including discovering which tools work best for them. Amen! 🙂
XOZ
“Just for the record, if you ever see me at a rave, sporting gladiator sandals and a ‘hawk, you’ll know something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.” LOL!!!
(One of my favorite Miami Heat basketball players, Chris “Birdman” Andersen, has a ‘hawk, but as far as the sandals and the raves, I’m with you! 🙂
I so agree, Z. We have to test these things out for ourselves. That is certainly the way I’ve done it. I love to keep an open mind, but I also know that each of us is unique & what works for one person may not be another person’s cup-of-tea, or haircut, for that matter.
I was sharing with my granddaughter an experience that Abraham-Hicks suggested to prove the power of our thoughts, if a person is wanting to do that. They suggested thinking of something, anything, neutral, and a woman (Esther perhaps) chose blue glass. After thinking about it briefly but regularly, blue glass started turning up in her experience, and the culmination was a visit to a gift shop with a whole wall of blue glass knick knacks!
But that experiment might not work for other folks. As you point out, life is so much more of an individual fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants adventure than it is about following advice and rule books. And aren’t we glad we now know that!
Hi Karen,
Yes, some people can totally rock the ‘hawk, but I’m not one of them. 😉
When I first got into metaphysics, I wanted to tell the whole world about it. But then I realized that when I had experienced had been exactly that – my own experience. I couldn’t make anyone else have my experience. Each of us has to find our own way.
I remember hearing that same Esther story about the blue glass. It’s such a great example of the power of thought. But then again, like you say, this might not work for everyone. The best part of all of this, really, is that each person is an individualized expression of Source. As such, we each get to experience that in our own unique way. Pretty groovy! 🙂
XOZ