book launch and B is also for beliefs.
Belief is the acceptance that something is true without needing evidence to prove its existence. We usually believe that things will happen as they have previously happened, because it is useful to do so. The formation of beliefs give us meaning to the world around us. The stronger our belief in something, the more likely that belief will colour our perceptions of the world. We filter the world, sensations, acquisition of knowledge according to our beliefs. We may not always act in accordance with our beliefs, but our reactions are certainly tempered by them.
A few days ago, I wrote about how our thoughts and behaviours manifest themselves into our lives. One of my followers asked me whether the reverse is true .. whether situations and opportunities attract our thoughts and behaviours? It is a bit of the chicken or egg argument. What I believe is that we see only what we see, we know only what we know or believe. The world around us, whether we believe it or not is neutral. Situations and experiences are at there essence neutral. People react differently to the same situation, or experience because of our unique beliefs and filters that disregard all other aspects of the situation or experience. It is impossible for us to be completely open to everything all of the time - we would simply go crazy with information overload.
However, as we develop awareness and become more conscious of those aspects of ourselves that influence our responses to our inner and external lives, our beliefs become broader, our tolerance to accept alternatives to our viewpoint broaden, our experiences become richer and we become more open to exploration and discovery rather than having to stand in our own righteousness of what we believe to be true.
Last night I had cause to reflect on this deeply. As part of that reflection I read some passages from Eckhart Tolle's book , The Power of Now. Tolle eloquently discusses the concept of choice. He writes "Choice implies consciousness - a high degree of consciousness. Without it you have no choice. Choice begins the moment you disidentify with the mind and its conditioned patterns, the moment you become present. Until you reach that point, you are unconscious, spiritually speaking. This means that you are compelled to think, fee and act in certain ways according to the conditioning of your mind ... The mind, conditioned as it is by the past, always seeks to re-create what it knows and what it is familiar with. Even if it is painful, at least it is familiar. The mind always adheres to the known. The unknown is dangerous because it has no control over it. That's why the mind dislikes and ignores the present moment. Present-moment awareness creates a gap not only in the stream of the mind but also in the past-future continuum. Nothing truly new and creative can come into this world except through that gap, that clear space of infinite possibility.
Nobody chooses dysfunction, conflict and pain. Nobody chooses insanity. This happens because there is not enough presence in you to dissolve the past, not enough light to dispel the darkness. You are not fully here. ... In the meantime, the conditioned mind is running your life.
... if you still harbour resentment about something, then you believe that they had a choice - that they could have acted differently. It always looks as if people had a choice, but that is an illusion. As long as your mind with its conditioned patterns runs your life, as long as you are your mind, what choice do you have? None. The mind-identified state is severely dysfunctional. It is a form of insanity. Almost everyone is suffering from this illness in varying degrees. The moment you realise this, there can be no more resentment. How can you resent someone's illness? The only appropriate response is compassion."
When we find moments to suspend our beliefs and to dissolve our filters, when we find moments to be fully present in the company of ourselves or others, it is possible to see that life brings us many gifts and opportunities to develop a sense of compassion. We can allow that feeling to cascade into all parts of our being, to share that energy with others, and to embed that sense into our relationships and into our experiences.
Flying Solo Tip 056365 : When I suspend my beliefs for a moment, I see more than I saw before, I hear more than I heard before, I feel more than I felt before, I act with compassion, I discover appreciation.