The Inner World of Thought

Many consider their inner state as being dependent upon their external circumstances. I am happy because… I am depressed because… He makes me so angry… On and on it goes. This seems logical, and in fact it can be true, but there is something more going on than most are aware of.

This is in total contradiction to what the greatest minds in history have taught us. I’ve read plenty from these great minds, and I have to tell you this one thing has been one of the most difficult concepts to get my head around. It is the root of what I talked about in an earlier blog about taking responsibility for your life. Once understood and accepted, it becomes very liberating.

I can tell you unequivocally that once you can get your head around this seemingly difficult concept, you too will feel the liberation that it grants. You can be free in this very moment to feel whatever it is you wish to feel. Not can you, but you are free in this very moment. You are exercising that freedom with every decision you make.

When I say that your inner state can be dependent upon your outer circumstances, understand that this can be true only because you allow it. It does not have to be that way. I see nothing wrong with allowing outside circumstances to affect our inner states, so long as we recognize that it is our choice in that moment. The problem comes when we forget that it is our choice to allow outside circumstances to dictate our feelings.

Everybody’s outside circumstances, from time to time become less than we might like. This is no reason to subject yourself to even more unpleasantness by choosing to feel negative energy such as anger or depression or fear.

Personally I believe these negative reactions are so ingrained in our being that one would have to be practically a saint to not experience them. For this reason I’m not about to tell you should never feel them. That would be hypocritical on my part if I did. I do succumb to negative feelings like anyone else.


Here's a Suggestion


However, from what I have learned and practiced, I can offer you a suggestion that has changed my life in many wonderful ways. Suppose something has happened to you that absolutely infuriates you every time you think about it. If this something has just happened, and your natural reaction was to become infuriated, as soon as you become conscious of the fact that you are infuriated, accept that reaction. You’re feeling it. It’s real. Accept it for what it is.

Then, and this is important, understand that the situation (no matter how bad) did not cause you to become infuriated. It was your choice, even if only subconsciously. It may have been a part of your conditioning, but it was something that you decided was an appropriate response at some point and time.

Shift your thinking from the situation itself to your reaction of the situation and contemplate this concept that I am explaining here. This may prove difficult to do in the heat of the moment, but I recommend you do it anyway. You may not feel content in the least, but you will surely notice a decrease in your negative feelings. This exercise is not meant to make you suddenly forget your feelings. Rather it is meant to get you started thinking in a more positive way.

The true purpose of any situation you face in life is to help you grow, and the sooner you can understand this the sooner you will grow. This does not make the problem go away, however it can stop it from robbing you of precious energy you might use to find a solution.

Often situations that leave us feeling infuriated tend to get replayed in our mind, and the feeling of being infuriated surges anew as if it were the first time. This is completely avoidable and every effort should be taken to avoid it. Because if you don’t, and you allow yourself to go through this experience again and again, you are only reinforcing this negative energy.

If you have noticed that replaying a situation tends to bring back the same strong feelings you originally felt, take note that this is evidence of how your subconscious mind operates. First, your subconscious mind cannot differentiate between what is real or imagined. This is why your reaction becomes the same, as if it were happening to you all over again. Secondly, the subconscious is the seat of emotion; it is considered the feeling mind.

If you gain nothing more from this understanding, note that this is valuable information in that this same process can be driven by you to create better results. This is a subject I will pick up on again in the next blog. So please continue. I’ll talk to you again soon!


To you journey,

Jeffrey B. Brandt



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