Mental Mix Tapes

There's truth and then there's conditioning. In the beginning of reclaiming your bliss it will be challenging as all get out to understand the difference between the two. Conditioning is that perpetual state of mind where we can't seem to think, act, or decide for ourselves because we've got the mental mix tapes of "should", and "how?" and "what will people think?", looped on repeat in our heads. It's that poisonous confusion that spins and locks the brain cells causing you to have the inability to know and trust what's right for you and leads you down the road of sameness and standardization. We have been conditioned on how to live outside of ourselves since we've left the crib. As a result we inject ourselves voluntarily and involuntarily with measuring sticks of how life should be lived and we've let other's voices become our own. Here are a few examples:

• You worry that you will not have, do, or be enough.
• You despise your looks in any form or fashion.
• You listen to what others say you "should" be doing with your life. As a result you can't decide for yourself what's best for you.
• You feel like a failure when you don't measure up to society's or your sister's checklist of success. i.e the perfect marriage, the white picket fence, 2.5 kids, a white knight on a horse, the perfect career, a man with a lot of money who will take care of you while you maintain the perfect weight and eat bon bons all day.
• You're keeping up with the Joneses while your sense of self and your finances plummet.
• You're working at a job that you hate because it offers security.
• You are knowingly lying to yourself about being happy.

Not to worry. At some point in our lives we all must realize that we have been configured with the "should be" chip to some degree. You might even be steaming mad right now. But it really doesn't matter who's responsible for this programming or the make believe world of unicorns. What matters is that you begin to understand that only you can remix your own mental mix tape.

Know this: Life is not about taking your size ten foot and shoving it into an seven and a half! Ouch. Living a blissful life is about being your own fit; being uniquely you. It's about feeling whole and connected. It's the knowing that you are perfect in your own perfection and that you are no accident.

Empty the trash can. Begin by unloading the lies. It does not matter whether someone told you the lies and you believed them or you created your own lies. Lies are lies and they keep us from growing into ourselves fully. Speak the truth. You hate your job. Surrender to it. That man is not a good fit for you. Feel the truth. I don't feel worthy of deep love and respect. Truth is an unshakable knowing. Nothing can disturb it. Truth is real because of how it feels. Do it with friends and loved ones. Once you've open yourself to truth it is incredibly liberating. You'll begin to see how long you have been people pleasing, and going along to get along. You will begin to breathe better, focus more clearly, and feel empowered. You'll begin to see that normal is the name of a cycle on the washing machine. Isn't that what bliss is all about? Being free to be your authentic self? Isn't that one of the life's major goals?

E-mail me at conversationsonbliss@yahoo.com