Everything begins and everything ends.

Our lives are a seemingly endless series of experiences from birth until death. When we think about it, it is much like a collection of scenes in a movie. We have little or no conscious memory of these events until we are about two years old. However, we record in our subconscious memory every event that has ever happened to u, event prenatal events. Gradually, most of the time those conscious memories fade, unless they are marked with some sort of emotion, happy or sad, a joyful high or painful trauma (physical and emotional), elation or despair. Every subconscious memory is stored, and they become the triggers for our automatic reactions to new events that we experience.

We are genetically programmed for survival as individuals and as a species. Part of this programming is to seek pleasure and avoid pain. The survival thoughts are created within our bodies by our hormones and neurotransmitters. It is obviously very complicated, and the scientists do not really have a complete understanding of how it all works, but knowledge of that has grown tremendously in the last few decades.

As I look back over the last 50 years of my medical career (beginning in 1973 with my first job as an orderly in a nursing home) the science of body functions and cellular chemistry has changed tremendously. Much of this knowledge is flawed by the pressures of big pharma and monetary influences which often guide the direction of research and release of information to medical providers and the general public. Since the 1990’s with the advent of the internet, this knowledge has become very confusing because much of the available information is produced by people with subjective opinions. Most websites and articles are written by people who have products or services to sell using promises and fear to compel their audience to buy.

As we view this information and hear the advice of our friends, family, and health professionals we can easily become overwhelmed. Based on our underlying programming for survival, we are constantly sorting this information according to the subconscious memories of our personal past experiences. As we encounter new information, we get a sense of confidence that we are on the right path or a fear that we need to do something different. Our intuition comes from those subconscious messages that are coming from the cumulative stored memories of every past experience.

So, the big question that we must ask and answer every day is, “What do I do today to insure my survival with maximum joy and minimal pain.” Most of us do not really consciously think about this. We just react automatically as new experiences meet us each day. As a result of this automatic thought pattern, we usually continue to create experiences that are like those from our recent past.

There is nothing wrong with that unless the pattern is painful, physically, or emotionally. As we consider our lives, relationships, careers, recreation, money, and health, we realize that these parts are woven together to become our daily experience. There is joy and pain every day. Sometimes, they are intense and something mild. Every event has a beginning and an ending. We can accelerate the ending or prolong it, however, eventually it will end.

We can learn to manage those events by removing our reactions from the subconscious part of our minds into the conscious part of our minds. We can remain mindless, or we can become mindful. That means that instead of just going through each day like a robot, we can become aware of our circumstances and direct their outcome, their ending. One of my mentors said, “We become what we think about most of the time.” It is possible that many of us have never really considered that. But that is actually how we create our lives. We can leave everything the same or we can make changes for the better.

Here are two little mental exercises that can really alter your future for the better. The first is, Recreate Your Day. At the end of every day, just before sleep, recall the events of the day. For everything that was good, image how it could have been even better. For everything that did not turn out the way that you liked, imagine how it could have been different, better. Then as you drift off to sleep, make a little mental movie of the better version of your day. The second mental exercise is, Create Your Day. When you awaken, lie in bed for a few minutes and think about your plans for the day. Then image each of those things happening with their most beneficial outcome for you and all concerned. Then send up a little prayer of gratitude for the perfect day. If you do not have specific plans for the day, just say to yourself, “I am having the best day of my life with the best outcome for every person I meet today.” Again, add that little prayer of gratitude for all the new blessings that are coming your way.

These two mindful exercises will alter your thoughts and attitudes throughout the coming day so that you are at the right place at the right time and everyone you meet will be happy that they encountered you. As you do this, with purpose for a few weeks, it will begin to become automatic, and you will see an increase in your joy and a decrease in your pain. You will have a better outcome from each experience and when that event does come to an end, you will have stored subconscious memories that will continue to guide your future with better and better outcomes, more joy, and less pain. You will have contributed to your own survival and that of the species.

Put Your Health in Your Own Hands