Changing Attitudes: Expansion of Human Behavior
p.
211 - You Have Chosen to Remember: A Journey from Perception to
Knowledge, Peace of Mind and Joy by James Blanchard Cisneros.
Some people
complain about today's youth. Some people complain about where they
perceive society to be heading. They question the behavior in which
people seem to be engaging. They comment that people are rude on the
road, that there's too much sex on television and in the movies, that
there is too much violence in the world.
In some ways, we
can all recognize and sympathize with their perceptions of reality, with
how they choose to view the world. I recognize their attitudes toward
the world because there have been moments in my life where I, too, felt
that way. And I am sympathetic because I understand where they are in
their thought process, and the way they choose to view the world. But
today, I respectfully choose not to share in their attitudes or join
them in their thinking any longer.
Today I observe an
expansion occurring. An expansion of all we think we are. This expansion
simply teaches us the following: all that we think we are, we are not,
and all that we ever wish we could be, we already are. There is a great
strength and energy in the people leading this expansion.
At the same time,
it takes a lot of strength and energy to subscribe to and follow
illusions in our lives on a daily basis. It takes a huge amount of
energy to live out a lie and to keep expanding on a lie. The world of
illusion, for those who believe in it, is hard, very hard. It is hard
because it is unnatural, and because it is an unnatural way of living,
it takes a great significant amount of strength and energy to simply get
through such days.
It is exhausting to
try to be who you are not. Think about your toughest days. Weren't those
the days you chose to believe and live the greatest illusions about
yourself and your brothers and sisters? Think of any tough day you have
had in the past and try recognizing how much of it you lived by buying
into the illusions about yourself and your brothers and sisters, and by
buying into illusions of your unworthiness and of others' unworthiness.
Think of the time you spent buying into your illusions of fear, sadness,
anger, anxiety, regret, distrust, rudeness, arrogance, materialism,
faithlessness, and your inability to forgive and see the good in people.
Weren't these truly your toughest days? Didn't these days take extreme
strength and energy to get through them?
Why do you think
that was? The answer is simply this: Any time we are in any of these
illusionary states, we are in an unnatural state, a chaotic state. Chaos
can be defined as an utter state of confusion. Do you not see that it
would take great energy and strength to live in such a manner?
We have learned
certain ways to react and behave from society, family members, friends
and peers. We might think that some of these behaviors are natural. We
might even be willing to defend them as being the right behaviors and
reactions. Yet, how could any behavior or reaction that causes us pain
and suffering be right or natural? Will we not at least ask ourselves if
there is a better way to behave and react? Is there not a way that could
bring us peace?
The natural way of
behaving and reacting will always brings us gratitude and peace. The
unnatural way of behaving and reacting will always brings us stress,
judgment, pain and regret. If we have reacted to a brother or sister in
what we thought was a natural way and we experienced stress, judgment,
pain and regret, then we must understand that our natural way of
reacting is, in truth, unnatural.
The only value
these behaviors hold for us and the world is for us to recognize them
for what they are to us and the world: our unnatural selves, our false
selves, our ego-selves. The only value they hold for us and the world is
to experience them for a long enough period of time for us to get
physically, mentally and spiritually sick of them. When we've had enough
of them, we get to the point where we no longer choose or want to live
this way. We no longer choose to support them and torture ourselves. We
no longer choose to support them and torture others.
Growth can be a
detoxifying process in which things will need to come up, out, and
looked at before they are released. All these behaviors, all these
illusions that we, as a society, as families and as individuals are
choosing to go through at this moment in time are necessary to bring us
to the point of recognizing and remembering that this is not who we are.
The illusions are necessary for us to remember that this is not how we
want to live our lives, not how we want to raise our children, not how
we want to interact with each other, not how we want to spend our time,
and that this is simply not who we truly are.
Understand that any
day that we perceive as difficult is actually a gift that is offered by
our higher selves. It is a gift because our Godselves are trying to
physically and mentally show us the activities and parameters we are
supporting that are "making us" react to the environment in such a
manner. Sooner or later, we see what the Godself is trying to show us.
When we do, these difficult days will turn into beautiful days filled
with miracles. As Gregory M. Lousig-Nont, Ph.D., put it in "The Best Day
of My Life:"
"Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day
of my life, ever!
There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I
did! And because I did, I'm going to celebrate! Today I'm going to
celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far; the
accomplishments, the many blessings, and yes, even the hardships,
because they have served to make me stronger. I will live this day
with my head held high and a happy heart. I will take time to marvel
at God's seemingly simple gifts, the morning dew, the sun, the
clouds, the trees, the flowers, and the birds. Today, none of these
miraculous creations will escape my notice. Today I will share my
excitement for life with other people. I'll make someone smile. I'll
go out of my way to perform an act of kindness for someone I don't
even know. Today I'll give a word of encouragement to someone who
seems down. I'll pay someone a sincere compliment. I'll tell a child
how special they are. And I'll tell someone I love, just how deeply
I care for them and how much they mean to me. Today is the day I
quit worrying about what I don't have, and start being grateful for
all the wonderful things God has already given me. I'll remember
that to worry is just a waste of time, because my faith in God and
His divine plan ensures everything will be just fine. And tonight,
before I go to bed, I'll take a stroll outside and raise my eyes to
the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the
moon and the majesty of the universe and I will praise God for these
magnificent treasures. As the day ends and I lay my head down, I
will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will
sleep the sleep of a contented child, and yet excited with
expectation, because I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of
my life, ever!"
24
24.
Gregory M. Lousignont,
Ph.D., The Best Day of My Life, Copyright © 1993 Gregory M.
Lousignont, Ph.D. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission of
author. (This copyright information was inadvertently left off of the
first edition of You Have Chosen to Remember.)
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