Some Folks Catch on Sooner

Alas, I’m not one of them, it seems.  I reflect back several decades and a conversation I had with a good friend who was one of those disgustingly cheerful, optimistic people.  I recall being shocked, shocked mind you, that my friend seemed to abdicate his adult responsibilities.  Yes!  He didn’t read the local newspaper, didn’t watch television news (this prior to the advent of 24 hours news streaming,  CNN, FNC, etc.) and didn’t pay attention to the news on the radio when he was listening.  How, I wondered, did he expect to be informed to make decisions at election time?  Or decide what organizations to support, or what groups to oppose, and so on.

“It’s not my business,” he remarked.  “Well, what is your business”, I challenged.  “Being happy,” he said with a grin.   Groan (thought yours truly.)

It’s taken a while for me to recognize the young adult genius the fellow possessed.  He had a focus most people I knew, including self, lacked – he knew what was most important to him.

Pondering over the years I came to understand that he wasn’t so much isolating himself from the state of affairs of others, but keeping himself tuned to those people and circumstances that resonated with him.  In other words, if something bothered him, he would change his focus so as not to be bothered.

My friend knew instinctively that whatever he gave attention, increased in his experience.  Focus on crime and you see more crime.  Focus on health, experience health.  Focus on illness and experience less health.  Focus on unhappy people and become unhappy.  Despite my deliberate efforts to be a good and honorable person I lacked, at that time, his wisdom on how best to assist others:  Be what you would like for others. 

It’s totally logical and in sync with great wisdom through the ages – a variation of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”    Be happy.  Isn’t that what you want for others?

I might be slow, but I get there.

Changing the Thought

The process is simple.  Change the channel.  That’s what you do when watching a boring or offensive program on television.  When you surf the myriad of stations beaming into your radio you move past those that irritate your ears.  Rather than listen to a station that aggravates your senses, you simply tune in to another station more pleasing.

It is natural to seek similar company.  Birds of a feather do flock together.  Whatever has your attention will increase.  Even Facebook knows that.  Of course, if you continue to “like” things that disturb you, then you’ll encounter more disturbing things.  Being aware of your attention is a magnificent tool – it allows you to change the channel and tune-out irritations.  It allows you to give attention to what you like and desire, rather than what disturbs and angers you.

By being aware of how/what you are thinking, you have the power to direct your thinking.  In effect, you are in control of your life.  This is in stark contrast to those who have a meager awareness of how/what they are thinking.  The former acts, the latter reacts.  The former allows others to choose for themselves, the latter feels victimized.  The former can change the channel.  The latter is stuck in one position on the dial.

Thoughts define what we call Consciousness.  The absence of thinking is a state of un-consciousness.  Marginal awareness of thinking results in semi-consciousness.  A conscious decision is a powerful thing.  Thought is energy.  Thought has power to attract similar thoughts and to influence thought creation.

It is a form of induction:  The process by which an electrical conductor becomes electrified when near a charged body, by which a magnetizable body becomes magnetized when in a magnetic field or in the magnetic flux set up by a magnetomotive force, or by which an electromotive force is produced in a circuit by varying the magnetic field linked with the circuit.  Radio.  Television.  Smart phones.  The same electro-magnetic process works with thoughts.

You’ve experienced it.  You entered a room, or a building, where people were gathered and “sensed” the atmosphere.  Uplifting.  Oppressive.  Whichever thought was dominate among the people is what was induced to you, a.k.a. sixth sense, intuition, hunch, and so forth.  It’s a fine and subtle communication, much like looking at your phone a split second before it sounds.  Perhaps you found yourself staring at something but didn’t know why.  Later, there was a reason for that earlier attention (sometimes finding a lost item, realizing that you really should have taken that umbrella.)  These sensations are not magical or supernatural, they are perfectly normal aspects of variations of induction.

How best to manage this powerful force that is thought?  Be aware that you are thinking and that you have both authority and ability to shift your thoughts (attention) to anything.  Your thoughts attract similar frequency thoughts.  Since every thought, ever thought, still exists in the Universe, your thinking has a great alliance.  The alliance is neutral – your attention will increase whether you’re focused on something pleasing or something distressing.

If you do not believe that thoughts attract similar thoughts, then you will discover lots of instances to validate that thought.

Get it?

Ignore It!

“Ignore it and it’ll go away.”

So we’ve been told.  Well, it’s a lie!  Simply ignoring something will NOT make it go away.  And Thank Goodness.  Allow me to elaborate.

“I like to think that the moon is there even if I am not looking at it.”  Thus said Albert Einstein when contemplating the mysteries of quantum physics, especially the curious phenomena that measurement/observation influences outcomes or maybe even determines existence.  Of course the moon existed when Einstein did not look at it (or even think about it.)  The Universe is a very big place.  The moon would remain and, more importantly, be there at such time Einstein brought it back to mind.

There is, however, truth in “Ignore it, and it’ll go away.”  The object of attention might not vanish, but once ignored it will no longer be a part of your experience.  So, in that sense, it has gone away.   That’s what the adage promotes:  If you wish to be free of something, think about something else.  Simple.  But hard to apply if you believe that the disagreeable object/condition must change before you can be satisfied.  There may be the thought that if you move your mental gaze away from the rascal or condition, it might get away with it.  Whatever “it” is.

Which comes around to the basic question:  Do you want to be happy?  It’s a yes or no question.  There are no qualifiers.  It is a surprisingly difficult question for many to answer.  And, “yes, but...” is not an answer.

Some people are able to ignore something (give their attention to another subject) and some are unable (and continue to give their attention, obsess on the subject.)  It’s impossible to “get rid” of something.  It’s a very, very, big universe – every thought, ever thought, exists.  It is not possible to give something attention (energy) and expect it to cease existing or change its nature.  In the realm of our potential, it is possible to re-focus our attention (energy) onto a subject of desire (or at least an improvement).  If your desire is to be happy (and all those attending synonyms -  wellbeing, healthy, prosperous, interested, etc.,) then it is of no importance whether the disagreeable object of attention remains or not – it’s no longer a part of your experience.

You know what it’s like. There have been occasions when you were royally ticked off at someone and kept him/her in your mind over night, during the day, all the time feeling miserable (or angry, or scared, or any number of variations of fear.)  Then there was that moment when, suddenly, you realized that your attentions were on someone/something else and you were feeling much better.  Quickly you “had” to shift your thought back to the disagreeable person, and immediately you felt worse.

You thus proved that you do feel better when you are thinking of something agreeable (or at least less disturbing.)  Do you want to feel better?

But, George, if I take my gaze off of the@#!@#$%!! then he/she will get away with it!

So?

Is it your “job” to bring “justice” to others?  (Hint:  NO!)  Can you “make” someone act right by keeping a close “eye” on him/her?  (Hint:  NO!)  For a nifty exercise, flip the two where you are the center of attention of someone wanting “justice” for you, and for you to “act right.”  I doubt that you enjoy having someone scheme to bring you justice, or plot to find a way to force you to act right.  Yeah, it’s true, we’re back to the Golden Rule.

Every thought, ever thought, still exists

If you want to be happy, or least feel better, ignore the what-ever-it-is, and allow yourself to see, view, think, taste, and enjoy some other thought.  You’ll immediately attract similar thoughts (every thought ever thought exists) and it will take more and more effort to return your attention to the previously disagreeable situation.

The disagreeable situation didn’t disappear or go away.  He/she/it is still there – waiting for someone’s attention of a similar vibration.  And visa verse.  Throwing your attention after a disturbing shiny object doesn’t mean that your previously optimistic point of view crashed and burned.  It’s still there.  Waiting for you.   Just like Einstein’s moon.