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There are 2 main ways to interrupt the pattern and rewire your brain. Both of these are scientifically proven; persistence and extreme focus. To modify our neurons and dendrites, something has to be either practiced in repetition or very intense. Just the same way that you don't like being disconnected from the world (like when your power or internet goes out), neurons don't like to be disconnected from one another.
When you are breaking old habits, it doesn't feel good because you are disconnecting from something comfortable and stepping out into the unknown. All of the hardwired connections need to become undone and new & improved connections need to be installed. The 'in-between- period is the uncomfortable zone.
Nerve Cells that Fire Together Wire Together!
“Remember that this is not something we do just once or twice. Interrupting our destructive habits and awakening our hearts is the work of a lifetime.”
Pema Chodron
When you learn something new, your brain cells undergo an amazing transformation. 🧠✨
Do you see how one circuit is stretching towards the other? It's seeking something fresh. Your brain is shaped by past experiences but can be rewired at any moment.
Fun Fact:
In 1949, psychologist Donald Hebb proposed his influential "assembly theory" of brain function, summarized by the phrase "neurons that fire together wire together."
Interrupt those Narsty thoughts!
How many times per day do you have a bad thought? Science tells us that we produce 60,000+ thoughts per day and most of them are negative. Even if only half were negative, this is 30,000 negative thoughts per day. OMG!
It's no surprise many people feel down sometimes. Imagine if a friend constantly echoed the negative thoughts your mind generates; you probably wouldn't want to keep that friend around for long.
You suck!
You are a moron!
You are not good enough.
There is no way you will achieve that.
It's not gonna work.
You are gonna get fired, asshole!
Wait till tomorrow.
Don't eat that, you big fatty.
Why even try?
You are gonna fail."
Slice through the negativity!
You have to find a way to eliminate those bad thoughts. One simple technique I use is the Fruit Ninja method. If you have ever played the game Fruit Ninja, the object is to slice through as many pieces of fruit as you can.
Likewise, throughout the day, whenever I see a bad thought start to come up, I try to close my eyes for a second and slice right through it with my mental sword. This interrupts the pattern. It is important to understand that overcoming nasty and intrusive thoughts is a process but the technique can happen overnight. It just depends on how much energy you spend.
3 Ways to interrupt the pattern
The Fruit Ninja: We discussed this technique above.
The Big Holler: Verbally say aloud, "change" or some word that works for you.
The Pain Slap: Slap yourself in the face. As crazy as it sounds, it will interrupt the pattern.
Replace it with Something New
In physics and chemistry, the law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another. Thoughts are energy.
When we eliminate a bad thought, it creates a void and we need to replace it with something. If it's not replaced, the void gets replaced with who knows what. Example: It's similar to spreading your hands apart, really fast in a swimming pool. There is an immediate void that is replaced by more water.
An immediate, short-term solution, is to replace the bad thought with something positive. For instance, if you start to sense the thought, "You are not good enough.", you can immediately slice it, say it, or slap it out of the way and mentally imagine something from your gratitude list...
You are not good enough! 🡆 REPLACE WITH 🡆I enjoy my new house!
You suck! 🡆 REPLACE WITH 🡆Wow! I feel so healthy today!
You will fail! 🡆 REPLACE WITH 🡆 My bank account is the largest ever!
Don't Let Up
Once you have interrupted the pattern, eliminated the intrusive thought, and replaced it with something groovy, stay in that mindset. Keep thinking and feeling the emotions of whatever happy item you chose for long enough that the original bad thought is gone and new neural pathways have been established. This can take anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes.
EXAMPLE: I am in love with my new house. The front bay window is massive - I'm thinking about putting a book nook there. OMG, that fridge can make 3 kinds of ice! Oops, I spilled some ice on my brand-new hardwood floor. I guess I need to mop that up. Let me mosey on out to the garage to get the mop. Oh goodness, would you look at the size of this 3-car garage...
Continue imagining and feeling the emotions of your 'thing' as long as it takes.
In the beginning, you may be doing this all day, every day. It may get very repetitive but will get much easier over time. As new neural pathways are built, every time you perform this technique, you will build the pathways more and more so the first time you do it will be the hardest. Next week, it will become easier. Next month will be even easier.
Turn on the HyperDrive!
YOUR FIRST GOAL:
Sit without thoughts for 16 minutes.
Clean your Surroundings: Cleaning the distractions from your surroundings will give you a sense of peace and accomplishment. This keeps your mind free from worrying about the dishes, the yard, etc...
Set and Setting: Create a special space for your meditation practice. Maybe you have a certain pillow, candles, or blanket. We want to make the space special reverent and unique to you.
Forgive Others: To have a great meditation setting, you may not want to be having a conversation with someone in your head. Try putting these stresses on hold for a few minutes.
Take a shower: When you are clean, you feel clean. Your mind feels clean. There's something about a shower that is refreshing to both mind and body. A shower is a type of 'Do Over' for life.
Have you ever sat with nothing for 16 minutes?
No TV No Kids No Phone No Thoughts
Just sitting with you and the universe
When you're prepared, sit upright to stay alert—lying down might lead to dozing off. Take some refreshing breaths and concentrate on the space surrounding you. Personally, I visualize this space like a protective bubble or a Taurus field. To enter the zone, I gently tilt my eyes upward, focusing towards my forehead or Third Eye. Remember, if your eyes start fluttering, it's normal. But if it feels uncomfortable, ease up a bit—you shouldn't strain yourself.
Imagine this field as your protective barrier, encompassing everything. Picture nothing existing beyond this boundary. In this universe, it's just you and the divine, loving each other unconditionally. No cars, no people, no money or buildings, no animals, no problems—nothing exists. There's no Earth, no planets, no stars or space, no time or matter. It's simply you and the divine sharing pure love.
The ONLY thing that exists is you & the Creator.
Step 1: Find a comfortable place where you will not be disturbed.
Step 2: Close your eyes and play the song.
Step 3: When you encounter any thought whatsoever, good or bad, acknowledge it and let it go. Replace it with an emotional feeling of love from the Creator.
Step 4: Try to remain as thoughtless as possible for 20 minutes but try to be very emotional. Feel the emotion of love.
Step 5: Feel only LOVE. This is the most important part. You are inside of this field that surrounds you, feeling love for existing. You are one with the Creator. You are one with the universe. There is nothing but love. Period.
I mentioned the feeling of love 3 times, above. It is THE thing that is important. Note: There is no significance to 16 minutes. It's simply the length of this song.
Now, as you've emptied your mind and created a void, how do you feel? Hopefully, you're experiencing a sense of relaxation and rejuvenation. If you followed the meditation correctly, you might have noticed thoughts arising and gracefully brushed them aside. Just to give you a reference point, during a 16-minute session, I usually encounter about 8 to 10 stray thoughts.
When I first embarked on this journey, my mind was a whirlwind of racing thoughts, so don't fret—it's all part of the process. You'll soon learn to condition your mind, and we'll delve deeper into this in our next session.
Now that you've created this beautiful space within, it's time to fill it with positivity and joy. Why not start by filling it with happiness and smiles? I've curated four uplifting songs for you to choose from, each guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Select the one that resonates with you the most. Then, shift your focus to the future. Contemplate something from your Mission 300 list and envision it vividly. Let this vision fill the void, inspiring you with hope and excitement for what lies ahead!
