Filters of The Mind
by Sivarajah Panjalingam
(Dukhan, Qatar)
The news media nowadays is filled with stories of doom and gloom. War and economic uncertainty rules the day. Why do people prefer to focus on the negativity around us, instead of giving thanks to the blessings that we have?
Our stories ARE a reflection of our true inner self. Truly. We tend to live out our paradigms, i.e., our view, interpretation and version of life and impose it on others, without being aware of it.
Everyone has their own version, me included. That’s why there are thousands of pundits, across the globe, who appear on talk shows, CNN ,sports channels, etc... to give THEIR views on certain issues. It’s only their view.
It does not have to DEFINE and set the issue in stone for you, me or anyone else. There is no one version or viewpoint that can be definitively said to be right or wrong. Life just is.
It’s our view and interpretation that gives it the value, either positive or negative, emotion and the passion.
Those of you who saw the movie “Vantage Point” would understand this, through the various individual viewpoints on the same event. Nothing is as it seems.
We need to consider different viewpoints to get a better understanding of the whole picture. If you have not seen this, I recommend that you do. Great movie and great lesson, too.
To live happy, let’s start by being more aware of our internal paradigms, the so called "filters of the mind". The process of manifesting our desired outcomes starts from being aware of our current thoughts and feelings and why is it so.
Being aware leads to the next step, choices, where we can choose our response to create a better paradigm, which then would lead to results.
I choose to fill my mind with positive expectations and work towards achieving them.
Yes, we do need to work on it. We may not have all that we WANT, but I’m sure if we sit down and make a list of blessings that we have, we’ll find that we have all that we NEED to keep moving forward.
The issue of choices was driven home to me, in a simple and direct way, by my two young sons. We are having issues in potty training with the younger son. As I was asking my younger son, after an “accident” why he would not do as he was taught, my elder son -all of 5 years old- quipped, “Papa, he’s already seen me doing it many times. He already knows it. He just doesn’t want to follow it!” Talk about a succinct observation!
We can only teach, it’s the responsibility of the learner to internalize, implement and follow through. It was Jim Rohn, I believe, who said, "You cannot hire someone to do your pushups for you".
The way we “see” the problem is the problem. Attitudes are outward symptoms of our internal paradigms. Let’s start by taking responsibility for creating our desired outcomes.
My action steps for happiness to ensure my "filters" are not clogged by negative thoughts are:
1. Daily listing of my blessings. Write them down. As long as you are alive, you have choices. Not everyone lives to see another day.
2. Attitude of gratitude. Give thanks on a daily basis for the blessings listed in Step 1. Not everyone has what you have. No two people are alike. That's why each of us is special.
3. Visualize what I want in my life. Dream big. Focus on the positives. Then I define the action steps needed to make it into a reality.
4. Never assume anything. Assumption is the mother of all confusion. If there is doubt, ask and clarify.
5. Protect my dream. Never let anyone or anything put a dent on your dreams. Take the hits or brush it aside, but never let it go unprotected. Be like a boxer, always keep your fists up to fend off any possible attacks on your dreams.
6. Daily meditation. Relax and calm the mind. Helps in fousing on the 20% of important things in life that contributes to the 80% of our life.
As long as we are alive, we have a chance to get it RIGHT, either this time or the next… or the next…! By moving forward, understanding others, taking the hits but still moving forward to our best lives.
But it all begins with the realization of we are ultimately responsible for our thoughts, choices, results, and happiness. And we need to take positive and progressive action, one step at a time.
Author:
Sivarajah Panjalingam is a happily married father of two, and an avid student of personal development and observer of life. An electrical engineer by profession, he lives and works in Dukhan, Qatar. The passions of his life are his two young sons, lovely wife, Deena and his collection of personal development books. He is, in his own words, "a work in progress".
