Ignorance
There have been many movies made about people living their lives in ignorance. The Stepford Wives, The Truman Show, Dead Poets Society and Pleasantville were typical of this theme. The basic story line starts with the characters in the movie living programmed lives, conscious but not aware. The main character awakes to the idea that there is more to life than what is playing out and begins to challenge the ‘norm’. This challenges someone with power who then tries to bring the ‘freedom fighter’ back in. Eventually the hero breaks free, causing much mayhem in the process. The tension gives way to strength, self determination, freedom and happiness, as they finally break away from their programmed lives.
The State of Ignorance
This is the state of consciousness where you live life mostly unaware of why you do what you do. There is a lovely story told of a young woman watching her mother preparing a roast for Sunday dinner. Just prior to placing the leg of lamb into the roasting tray her mum cuts the last six inches of the leg and bends it back as she places it into the tray. This intrigues the daughter as the tray is well and truly long enough to take the whole leg. So, she asked her mother why she did it, to which the mother replied, ‘It’s what your grandma always did’. Curiosity got the better of her, and she went and phoned her grandma to find out why she did it. On asking her, the grandmother replied, ‘Oh, I did that so the lamb would fit in the baking tray, which had to be small enough to fit into my oven.’
Programs From Our Formative Years
So many of our behaviours are programmed from our formative years. They are so entrenched that they have become sub-conscious patterns of behaviour. Sub-conscious means that we aren’t even aware that they exist. Basically they are habits. A common example is driving a car. Think back to when you first began to learn who to drive. Recall the tension in your body as you first tried to workout the clutch, gears, brakes and accelerator. Then trying to remember what to do with all of that while driving in the traffic. Now think about how much thought you give to any of that when you drive today. But it doesn’t stop with the act of driving, it also extends to the route you take. If you drove to work this morning, did you give much thought to the route and the other traffic along the way? How many times do you drive from point A to B and not have to give it a ‘second thought’. I recently spent some time in southern France, and hired a car for a week to more easily access the various regions I wanted to explore. I can tell you that there was nothing ‘habitual’ about how I was driving during that week. The drivers side of the car was opposite, as was the carriage that I was driving on. I had no idea of where to go, although the GPS made that somewhat easier. Paying tolls, taking the right exit, parking, very narrow streets, different road signs and road rules, all took its toll. By the end of each day I was exhausted just from the driving. Obviously as the week progressed I became more comfortable. I was forced to become more aware. If I fronted up ignorant to the driving changes there is a very good chance that I would be the cause of an accident.
Take a Moment To Consider
How much of your life is lived on automatic? The result is that we tend to live very predictable lives. That isn’t bad or wrong, because it often takes the stress out of living. But how is it serving you? How has living your life in that way impacted on your health? Your relationships? The fulfilment in your career? How much of how you live your life is original to you? Are you living your life as a clone of your parents? For that matter, did you marry a clone of one of your parents? Or, on the flip-side, is all of your behaviour a constant rebellion to your upbringing? This would mean that you are still caught up in your programming.
If You Always Do …
If you always do what you have always done, you will only get what you have always got. This extends to include, if you always do what your parents did, you will only get what they got. A friend of mine has struggled constantly through out her life, mostly functioning on survival mode. Now, she knows how to survive well, and has developed great survival skills, but there is always that tension, a belief that there is no gain without pain. While discussing her predicament, it became obvious that all of her siblings held the same programmed consciousness, as well as realising that is was the same consciousness held by her mother. My friend’s programming is so subconscious she couldn’t see that it even existed. She was aware of the suffering and the struggle that came out of her programming (her story), but not the story. Once something is observed (meaning we are no longer ignorant to it) then it can change. Now my friend can become the hero in her own freedom movie.
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Client Rave
A client who recently completed the Enhances Awareness Program talked about her release from her programming. “When I was looking for a more fulfilling life I commenced the EAP only to discover my own story (programming) was the main impediment. Through a new awareness of the present, I feel happier, accepting of life and more able to reacher my full potential in stillness and service. I am enjoying the benefits.’ Pat P.
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