Today I was talking with a client when the topic of fear versus desire came up. I'd like to share the essence of the conversation as my New Year's Gift to you.
When fear is our motivator, what happens is that we try to prevent what we fear from happening. Our culture is founded on this very concept. Think of it … we have magazines such as “Prevention,” early detection screenings for cancer, the D.A.R.E. Program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) so kids won’t get involved with drugs, and vaccines and immunizations to prevent diseases.
What is likely to be the motivation for all this?
Fear?
If we are attempting to prevent illness then what are we likely expecting?
Illness?
If we are attempting to prevent juvenile drug involvement what are we likely anticipating?
Juvenile drug involvement?
I can't help but wonder if these problems are rampant because of "prevention" strategies.
I'm not suggesting what you should do or not do. What I am suggesting is to bring awareness to your actions, your desires, your expectations and the feelings that fuel them. When focused on fear we aren’t running toward life with arms open to receive its bounty. We are expecting the worst and trying to outsmart it.
Why would we want to focus on what we don't want?
Because that's all we know?
"You cannot evaluate an insane belief system from within it." states A Course In Miracles. Sometimes we have to slow down and observe ourselves. What are we doing and why? Being true requires knowing the answers to both these questions. Reminds me of the "Ham Story." Where the family always cut off the ends of the ham. Then a new person enters the family and asks for the reasoning behind the tradition. No one knows. They just always have. They have to consult Great Grandma who shares that her mother only had one pan that was too small to fit an entire ham so they had to cut the ends off for it to fit. So there you have that! An unnecessary and obsolete tradition fueled by ignorance.
It is common to be clear on what we don’t want first, but from there we have a choice. We can go into prevention mode or flip it—as in, if I don’t want this, then what do I desire? This brings us into the positive. Changing our attitude in this way is powerful because there are a completely different set of ideas that flood our brains when focused on preventing than when focused on desiring. And there are a completely different set of feelings that spring forth depending on the nature of our attitude. From prevention springs forth worry, concern and stress. From desire springs forth enthusiasm, peace and calmness. Prevention is anticipation of what we don't want. Desire is anticipation of what we do want.
Getting into the positive is the first step toward manifesting what we want. Sometimes it’s enough and sometimes when we take one step forward toward a desire, we find that we have to take 2 steps back. We have to step back into our past history to consult 'Great Grandma'--to reacquaint ourselves with the reason for our actions, learn something that we missed first time around, or retrieve something. that we left behind. 2 steps back doesn't mean that we haven't made progress; it just means that there is something in our history that we need in order to take our next step.
Wishing for your resolutions to be fruitful this year.
Happy New Year!
Dr. Trish
If you are looking for a little bit of insight to help launch your New Year's Resolutions off to an optimal start, Dr. Trish will be offering mini-crystal-sessions and her new book this Sunday 1/6 at World Hypnotism Day – Massachusetts at the Hilton in Woburn, MA. Hope to see you there!
Sessions are also available by appointment in her office or via phone or Skype. Remember, those pesky resolutions--the ones that present us with the greatest challenges--offer us the greatest liberation. So don't give up. Sometimes it's darkest before the dawn.
Last year was tough for many of us, but this can be your best year ever!
