Is your mind in a negative space too often?
Down on yourself?
Stuck? Feeling crazy sometimes? Addictions? Confusion ? Horny? Need a paradigm shift? A cigarette?
You just now started your paradigm shift.
You made a choice to read these words about self-improvement.
You’re “interested” in changing.
You’re thinking about self-help and you’re interested so, this moment you are in a paradigm shift.
Now let's get some more momentum and keep walking down this road.
Take a long deep breath and an equal exhalation to get some fresh Oxygen into that brain of yours.
We have to walk step-by-step on the path to “liberation” from suffering. It’s simple to move forward but not easy. It’s effort and work. Both things we were all designed to do: put out effort and do work. What is the work?
The work involves a lot of self-talk, writing or journaling, learning to meditate, “prayer-like” activities, listening to and/or reading, and of course changing our habits, routines, and core philosophies. Easy!
Within each of these activities, there is relief from anxiety. Anxiety is that negative feeling we feel that causes a cascade of other negative feelings.
At the heart of our healing, anxiety is what we are trying to relieve ourselves from. Without anxiety, we would just be present, happy, joyous, quirky, creative, wise, personable, inventive, humorous, helpful, and we would have self-esteem, (self-love).
It is anxiety that is chasing us around. It is anxiety that makes us obsess, cling, whacky, destructive, and it is anxiety that erodes our character. Anxiety is a feeling or a sense that there is some type of danger. We are used to this feeling. We likely have been feeling this since around age two.
There was danger and that feeling has stayed with as a “chronic” problem throughout our lives.
Anxiety is the source of our negative feelings and internal reactions. From anxiety we create our negative belief systems and ideas about life. It is from anxiety that the vast amount of humans seem to operate and create.
You are now going to shift that. You are going to learn how to cope with anxiety without changing your history, without healing your internal struggles, and without paying a single penny to anyone. You are going to do it through breath work.
THe breath work is going to get your brain working at its “optimum level”.
From the optimum level, you can dive deeper into your personal solutions to your problems.
Getting to the optimum brain pattern is a stable place to continue to walk the path and take steps every day for self improvement. Every day you are alive you are either moving backwards, staying stuck, or moving forward towards accomplishing your goals. You just moved forward by reading this and considering it.
Okay. If you recall a few paragraphs ago I mentioned that you are “now” shifting your enter paradigm because you are interested in helping yourself. Being interested is an important mind set.
From being interested you need to think of and develop total “willingness” to change the aspects of yourself that are not working for you and that are driving you backwards or keeping you stuck.
How do we “become willing”? Ultimately this is for you to decide, however, there is a well-known “cheat” to achieve willingness. In fact, its this well-known cheat is the same technique we are going to use to start off any project, any goal, and any problem needing to be solved. That technique/cheat is to: (1) visualize yourself doing the thing you want to achieve, in this case it’s to become willing; (2) write down what you want to achieve, (in this case write, “I am willing to change); and (3) take 5-10 long, slow, deep cycles of breath to let it absorb into your brain, central nervous system, and entire body.
Before we proceed, let us distill and summarize the essence of the previous passage, ensuring that its wisdom permeates our being. It serves as a map, guiding us to the treasures concealed within our minds.
Writing acts as a vessel, solidifying the ethereal currents of thoughts and ideas that flow within our consciousness. These intangible vapors yearn to take shape, and writing proves to be the most effective medium for their transformation. While sharing our ideas verbally with others can also manifest them, it lacks the potency found in the written word.
If you have followed the steps outlined in the preceding paragraphs, you are now immersed in the process of becoming willing. The duration of this transformation depends on the repetition of the instructions provided earlier.
If you feel a newfound willingness to change, we shall propel you towards the next significant milestone on your journey to happiness: discovering a wellspring of empowerment and nurturing an unwavering connection to it. These very words may serve as a source of power, stirring hope within your heart, alleviating fleeting anxieties, igniting profound thoughts, and inspiring positive actions.
For me, the wellspring of inspiration emanates from my yearning to avoid needless suffering during my brief sojourn on this earthly plane. I possess an ardent pursuit of happiness and an aspiration for higher consciousness. These aspirations have become inseparable from my being, transcending worry as I embrace the sheer inspiration and empowerment they provide. When this virtuous flame wavers, I seek alternative wellsprings of inspiration, such as my desire to bring joy to my beloved spouse. It is a love that burdens me not but fuels my resolve to accomplish necessary tasks and, above all, to embark on a journey of self-improvement. At times, I draw strength from the support of my friends, the act of writing, exercise, prayer, meditation, the wisdom of great masters, ancient philosophical teachings spanning from Stoicism to Yoga, and even contemporary psychological insights. Moreover, my unwavering curiosity for life itself empowers me.
Yet, during moments when these sources wane within me, I turn to prayer, beseeching for renewed inspiration and strength. I beseech myself to believe in the efficacy of self-help, seeking guidance and answers for the next right step to take on this path.
Accountability to others holds tremendous empowering potential. Faith in oneself is a wellspring of strength. While the desire to earn money can be empowering, we must exercise caution not to become excessively attached to materialism. The yearning to aid others is a remarkable source of power, although we must guard against developing a messiah complex. For those inclined towards spiritual beliefs, unwavering faith and devotion can serve as transformative forces. Sitting amidst nature in its raw splendor can awaken a sense of empowerment. Assisting our elders and ensuring the safety of children, caring for the weak and the ill—these noble endeavors bestow us with a sense of purpose and empowerment. Indeed, numerous avenues exist, offering us the opportunity to rise each day and endeavor towards positive change.
Henceforth, we must tap into a wellspring of power, refusing to succumb to complacency. Each day, even amidst empowerment and progress, we must strive to maintain our connection to that power. It is imperative to establish self-empowerment as a habitual practice.
Now, as your interest, willingness, and empowerment intertwine, it is time to take decisive action and craft your immediate plan for a paradigm shift. The moment for contemplation and discussion has passed; the time for action has dawned. Begin by meticulously documenting your problems, and subsequently, their corresponding solutions. Maintain focus and clarity by engaging in deep, rhythmic breaths throughout this process.
Without an ongoing, adaptable plan of action, we risk drifting away from our self-help endeavors. Our interest will wane, willingness will become ephemeral, and soon enough, we shall find ourselves ensnared in old patterns. However, should you prefer to endure needless suffering, it is your choice. Alternatively, you can opt to recommence this journey and reread these words.
Once you have compiled your written plan, share it with a trusted friend or a master, engaging in conversations that facilitate adjustments and refinements.
Should you find yourself repeatedly returning to the starting point—interest, willingness, empowerment, plan of action—inevitably, progress will unfold. Augmenting any action plan with the following practices is highly beneficial: nourish your body with wholesome meals, rest adequately, engage in daily exercise and movement, integrate deep breathing exercises into your day, maintain a journal to capture every emotion and thought, attend to personal grooming, keep your living space organized, work diligently, rise early, abstain from drugs and excessive alcohol consumption, refrain from engaging in unwise behaviors, seek therapy or group therapy, relinquish excuses, eschew laziness, explore ancient philosophies, extend a helping hand to others, engage in creative endeavors, offer prayers, meditate, allow yourself to experience both laughter and tears, perform physical exercises like push-ups and sit-ups, focus on positive thoughts, express gratitude in writing, revisit this guidance periodically, and revel in the absurdity of life. It is an ongoing process, the pursuit of happiness—a labor that requires our embrace, not merely the outcome.
P.S. If you ponder how to overcome highly addictive habits, return to the beginning: cultivate interest in ceasing them, nurture willingness, empower yourself, and inscribe your intentions on paper.