Filtering Your Experiences
Depression, anxiety and self doubt are three of the most common struggles an individual may face. Often various forms of therapies and medication have been tested, to no avail. A book by Dr. David Burns called “Feeling Good,” is highly regarded by mental health professionals when it comes to managing depression and anxiety. He speaks about how his early research led him to believe that experts in the field need to look beyond medication for treatment. He realized that research often, but not always, suggested neuro-chemistry was not the underlying cause of depression and anxiety. If this is the case, we have to wonder; why are we always treating depressed and anxious patients with drugs like Effexor, Seroquil and Clonazapam?
Although medication is necessary and helpful for some, it may not be the answer for everybody. In Dr. Burns’ book, he talks about ‘Cognitive’ therapy. The basic premise of this idea is that our thoughts alter our moods. As simple as that may sound, think about it for just a moment and then ask yourself, can I control my own thoughts? The answer is yes. In the diagram to the left the “cycle of reality” is outlined. This demonstrates how people are continuously manifesting their own reality from their perception, which becomes a thought, which may become an emotion, which has the ability to manifest and continues to define our reality.
For example, lets say you have recently had your son or daughter move out of the house and you are now a single ’empty nester.’ You may be in your late 50’s and you believe that you’re too old to find anyone new. You THINK there is nobody out there who would be interested in you etc… You negative self talk to the point of believing your own negative and dreary reality. Hence nothing happens and you spend years alone and sad.
Your emotions are constantly manifesting energy around you. This is perhaps the first time you have read this or considered it to be true, but once you begin to understand – it will have a huge impact on your life. Energy exists around us at all times. Some cultures call it Qi, Chi, vital energy or life force energy. Which ever you choose to call it, it surrounds us at all times – similar to electricity, yet not visible to the eye. Acupuncture works on our energy system, as another example. Thinking back to Grade 9 chemistry or biology, I am sure you recall that cells have a positive and negative charge. Cells of which are found in your body. Your body carries a charge, of energy. This is important because it is vital when we think about the manifestation of our own reality. The power of positive affirmations, self talk, vision boards and the Law of Attraction is profound. If you believe the worst will come, you are subconsciously attracting that very thought into your life. If you wake up every day saying positive things to yourself, you will start to see a positive shift, almost immediately.
Change the way you think, change the way you feel, and ultimately reshape your own reality.
Reference
Burns, D. D. (1999). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. New York: Avon Books.
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