Attention is a wave we ride to joy or despair.
When we focus on joyful things we experience joy.
When we focus on troublesome things we experience despair.
It's so simple and so obvious and yet it's insidious that our happiness is buffeted by what we pay attention to.
Now the objectors will say, "We pay attention to what we experience." They'll say we have little to no control over what we experience, so it's not merely a matter of directing our attention.
But let's stop and think about this for a moment.
We know that what we think is part of our experience. And our thoughts are part of what we pay attention to.
If our thoughts are skewed to perceive things negatively or to worry excessively then we will experience anxiety, more often than those whose thoughts skewed to the positive.
We have more influence and control over ourselves than anything else. We can learn to shape our thought patterns.
And if we persist in learning we can surprise ourselves with how much progress can be made.
People who have set their minds to this type of learning all report amazing results.
Tony Robbins' personal development program is built on this premise.
We have ample opportunity to come across people who have learned to shape their attention in ways that improve their quality of life.
And yet we don't see those people unless we are open to looking for them. This means we need to believe, to a certain extent, that they exist. Otherwise, they're invisible to us.
That is if we have too many doubts and anxieties all we see is evidence confirming our dire outlook.
So it's a catch 22.
And this is what makes it so insidious, at least for the people who have not started trying to shift their mindset. Those people are being carried along on the strong currents of their ingrained and assumptions, beliefs, and reflexive outlooks.
It's very hard to break out of that situation.
The current that carries you along in that situation is strong. The current is powered by a lifetime of experiences that give rise to assumptions that are not true or are not universally true.
It's hard to step out of your ingrained reflexive point of reference. And yet this is what enlightenment is based on.
We know that many people have become enlightened. So how does this happen?
Well, it appears that you can't become enlightened until you deeply question the fundamental sources of all your beliefs and assumptions. And it's very hard to do this.
It's not enjoyable. And it doesn't have any quick payoff that's discernible.
Of course, we like to believe we're eager to be enlightened. We want to feel like we're eager to learn about the true nature of things.
But when the rubber meets the road, we have trouble with enlightenment. We prefer the usual flow, the familiar ideas, the commonly held viewpoints (at least amongst our chosen tribe).
When we seek enlightenment, it's usually because something fundamental has come apart at the seams, shaking the foundations of our beliefs.
Deep pain is what starts the process of instigating a true quest for enlightenment. But staying on the path to enlightenment is lonely and filled with more pain.
So, the delusion machine is always ready to take over. And it's a powerful force that feels good when we let it take over.
No matter how much enlightenment we might have attained, we can easily lull ourselves back to sleep...and let the river of unquestioned beliefs carry us away.
When we focus on joyful things we experience joy.
When we focus on troublesome things we experience despair.
It's so simple and so obvious and yet it's insidious that our happiness is buffeted by what we pay attention to.
Now the objectors will say, "We pay attention to what we experience." They'll say we have little to no control over what we experience, so it's not merely a matter of directing our attention.
But let's stop and think about this for a moment.
We know that what we think is part of our experience. And our thoughts are part of what we pay attention to.
If our thoughts are skewed to perceive things negatively or to worry excessively then we will experience anxiety, more often than those whose thoughts skewed to the positive.
We have more influence and control over ourselves than anything else. We can learn to shape our thought patterns.
And if we persist in learning we can surprise ourselves with how much progress can be made.
People who have set their minds to this type of learning all report amazing results.
Tony Robbins' personal development program is built on this premise.
We have ample opportunity to come across people who have learned to shape their attention in ways that improve their quality of life.
And yet we don't see those people unless we are open to looking for them. This means we need to believe, to a certain extent, that they exist. Otherwise, they're invisible to us.
That is if we have too many doubts and anxieties all we see is evidence confirming our dire outlook.
So it's a catch 22.
And this is what makes it so insidious, at least for the people who have not started trying to shift their mindset. Those people are being carried along on the strong currents of their ingrained and assumptions, beliefs, and reflexive outlooks.
It's very hard to break out of that situation.
The current that carries you along in that situation is strong. The current is powered by a lifetime of experiences that give rise to assumptions that are not true or are not universally true.
It's hard to step out of your ingrained reflexive point of reference. And yet this is what enlightenment is based on.
We know that many people have become enlightened. So how does this happen?
Well, it appears that you can't become enlightened until you deeply question the fundamental sources of all your beliefs and assumptions. And it's very hard to do this.
It's not enjoyable. And it doesn't have any quick payoff that's discernible.
Of course, we like to believe we're eager to be enlightened. We want to feel like we're eager to learn about the true nature of things.
But when the rubber meets the road, we have trouble with enlightenment. We prefer the usual flow, the familiar ideas, the commonly held viewpoints (at least amongst our chosen tribe).
When we seek enlightenment, it's usually because something fundamental has come apart at the seams, shaking the foundations of our beliefs.
Deep pain is what starts the process of instigating a true quest for enlightenment. But staying on the path to enlightenment is lonely and filled with more pain.
So, the delusion machine is always ready to take over. And it's a powerful force that feels good when we let it take over.
No matter how much enlightenment we might have attained, we can easily lull ourselves back to sleep...and let the river of unquestioned beliefs carry us away.