Breaking Agreements
- S. A. Gibbs
- Dec 10, 2016
- 2 min read
I’ve noticed that no matter how well intentioned I am, I seem to not follow through with many of the commitments I make to myself. Now, if I have a professional commitment, I always follow through with flying colors. So, why is it that I am not as reliable when it comes to commitments I make to myself? Do you experience the same thing?
Don Miguel Ruiz writes in his book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom that we enter into subconscious agreements as we mature. These agreements are a consequence of what we are told by our parents, teachers, friends, media, and society as a whole. Not all of these agreements are good. These agreements can affect how we see ourselves as individuals including our value and potential as human beings. Are we actually sabotaging ourselves as we seek inspiration and growth in our second phase of life? If we look around at the destructive behaviors of some, I think we can agree that no one would consciously do things that guarantee personal pain, suffering and failure. Are we actually wired for sub-optimal performance? If so, how do we rewire ourselves?
I would highly recommend all to read Robert Greene’s book, Mastery. Greene argues that we are all born with what he calls an Original Mind. This is the mind of a child, full of possibilities, energy, excitement, and wonder. Somehow during our maturing process, the Original Mind gives way to the Conventional Mind, a state where we accumulate information and regurgitate it. As Greene states, ‘what kills the creative force of the Original Mind is not age or lack of talent, but rather our own spirit, our own attitude.” Because of fear for new ideas and the effort to think creatively, we find comfort in our existing knowledge. “We prefer to live with familiar ideas and habits of thinking, but we pay a steep price for this; our minds go dead from the lack of challenge and novelty ……”
I need to forget all those things that I keep telling myself, things that are based on the words of others. I need to recapture my Original Mind, which is the gateway for everything possible. I need to be cognizant of my self-talk. Self-talk is frequently grounded in limitations, negativity and even self-hate. How about you? Do you feel the same things? Sometimes breaking agreements is for the better.
Comments