In “Reinventing The Body and Resurrecting The Soul, Deepak has a chapter called, In Your Life: Creating Your Own Epiphany. Here is part of it. It is long but very interesting to read.
“ It’s unfortunate that the word epiphany is limited to a religious context. People assume that epiphanies are about God and occur only to saints. An epiphany is really a mini-breakthrough. One piece of conditioning is shattered. Instead of being a victim of a rigid belief, you feel released. What causes such a mini-breakthrough? You have to shift your attention to the soul, because that is the aspect of yourself that is not conditioned. The soul represents higher awareness in that sense- it is free from all conditioning. Or, to put it the most simply, the soul never says no. Anything is possible. Whatever can be imagined comes true. If you can keep your attention on your soul, you will experience an epiphany every day. Instead of no you will experience unlimited yes.
To get beyond the power of no is crucially important. No is very convincing. People reject all kinds of experiences because they believe it’s right to reject. They oppose because they can’t bring themselves not to. The spell of no holds them so strongly that little else matters. Some concrete example will help here, then we will see how each one can be reversed.
Getting past no.
· You must break the spell when your mind:
· Tells you that people can’t change
· Keeps you trapped in rigid habits
· Traps the mind in obsessive thoughts
· Creates craving that cannot be appeased
· Puts up fear as a threat if you try to break free
· Forbids you to have certain thoughts
· Makes natural urges seem illicit or dangerous
It takes mini-breakthroughs to get past the power of no because there is so much negativity to overcome in so many areas. But in each area the same principal holds: to make life easier, you need to stop doing whatever it is your doing. I know this sounds terribly general, but in reality if you were doing the right thing, you would be in contact with your soul already, and your life would be unfolding day by day, on the principal of yes. So you have to stop what your doing and shake things up.
Now let’s look at the specific areas where the power of no needs to be dislodged.
Negative belief #3: Obsessive thoughts are in control. Most people don’t think they are obsessive. They identify obsessions with mental disorders, when in fact an obsessive-compulsive disorder is just an extreme variation on a universal condition. Obsessions are yet another way that the power of no removes your ability to choose. At any given moment you might obsess about keeping safe, avoiding germs, getting angry in traffic, spending money, disciplining your children, defeating terrorism- the possibilities are endless and ever-changing. You can’t assume that a thought becomes an obsession only if it’s immoral, wrong or irrational. One can obsess about things that society approves of and rewards. We all know people who obsess about winning, or getting back at those who wrong them, or money, or ambition. By definition, an obsessive thought is one that’s stronger than you are. That’s where the power of no does its damage.
From the soul’s perspective, thinking is an expression of freedom. The mind isn’t compelled to prefer one thought over another. Much less is the mind a machine programmed to repeat the same message over and over. What keeps us trapped in repetition is the belief that “I must think this way.” Other alternatives are closed off by fear, prejudice, self-interest, and guilt. To break out of obsessive thinking, you must examine this deeper level where “I must” holds sway.
· Don’t struggle against thoughts that keep repeating themselves.
· When people tell you that you keep doing the same thing, believe them.
· Don’t accept that always winning, always being number one, or always doing anything is productive.
· Don’t pride yourself on consistency for consistency sake.
· If you feel trapped by an obsession, ask yourself what your afraid of. Repetition is a mask for anxiety.
· Stop rationalizing. Put your attention on how your thoughts feel, not what they say.
· Be honest about the frustration you feel with have the same idea over and over.
· Don’t defend your prejudices
· Take active steps to reduce stress, which is the major cause of obsessions. Under stress, the mind keeps repeating the same thing because it isn’t relaxed or open enough to find an alternative.
· Through meditation, seek the level of your mind that isn’t obsessed, that has no fixed ideas.
Negative belief #4 Cravings can never be appeased.
When cravings keep returning, they force you either to give in or resist (the futility of this struggle was touch on earlier) The power of no insists that you have no alternative. Once again, a repetitive pattern imprinted on the brain overrides free choice. Your craving takes on a life of its own, and if taken to extremes, it becomes an addiction. The difference has to do with just how limited you become. Someone who craves chocolate can’t resist eating some, but if addicted, they would eat nothing else. Even in its milder forms, however, craving can make you feel that you have no other choice.
From the soul’s perspective, a craving is another example of a shortcut imprinted on the brain. The person who always eats chocolate has made an implicit choice that chocolate is the best kind of sweet, and therefore, instead of his bothering every time to consider a variety of sweets, he chooses chocolate automatically. But setting your mind on autopilot doesn’t mean that you can’t change it. The option to reset your reactions always exists. Under the spell of no, you willingly gave up that option, but anything you give up you can also reclaim.
· When a craving arises, don’t make it an either/or choice.
· Instead of either giving in or resisting, do one of the following: walk away, postpone your choice, find a distraction, pause and watch yourself, or substitute another pleasure.
· Don’t’ think of defeating your craving. Think instead that you are gradually erasing an imprint.
· When you feel discouraged for giving in, be with your feelings instead of pushing them away.
· Realize why appeasing a craving never works: you can never get enough of what you didn’t want in the first place.
· Find out what you really want, whether it’s love, comfort, approval, or security. These are the basic needs that cravings try to substitute for.
· Pursue your real need. If you do, the craving will automatically lose its grip and in time will vanish.
· If for any reason you can turn away from your old craving, seize the moment, even if your craving soon returns. Every small victory imprints your brain in a new pattern. Don’t see this as a temporary victory – see it as a sign that you can find the switch that turns your craving off.
Negative Belief #5: Fear keeps you from being free.
The power of no uses fear as its enforcer. Like a hired gun, it holds a threat that is merciless and indifferent. Under the spell of no, the mind finds any and every reason to be afraid. The simplest things become objects of anxiety. The most unlikely risks loom as dangers that can befall you at any moment. When you find yourself in a defensive posture, you have denied yourself the most basic freedom, which is to be safe in the world. It’s not the external threat that creates this situation. We project our fixed beliefs onto every situation, so feeling safe or unsafe becomes a personal decision.
From the soul’s perspective, you are always safe. The universe cherishes your existence. Nature is designed to uphold your well-being. If you find yourself under threat, it can be quite realistic to assess the danger and escape it. But if you are paralyzed by anxiety, the threat becomes inescapable. Some one with fear of heights, for example, finds it impossible to climb a stepladder. The danger of falling doesn’t prevent other people from climbing the ladder, because they are free to access that the risks are small. But a phobia takes away the freedom to access danger realistically; fear acquires absolute power, the power of no. To get beyond a phobia, you must call its bluff and reassert that you are safe.
· Don’t fight your fears when you are actually afraid.
· When you feel calm and safe, call your fear to mind so that it can be examined.
· Fear is convincing, but that doesn’t make it right. Make sure you can see this distinction.
· Anxiety tends to obsess about reasons to be afraid, stoking its own fire. Don’t be fooled by repetition. A situation doesn’t become dangerous just because you keep thinking it is.
· Separate the energy of fear from the content of your experience. Instead of worrying about the thing that makes you anxious, go directly to the feeling of anxiety and move the energy as you would any other, through physical release, toning, meditation, and other techniques.
· Realize that you are not basically afraid. Fear is a passing emotion that can be released.
· Know that you have a choice to either hold on to fear or let it go. If you feel anxious, take immediate steps to let go. Don’t dwell on fear or try to reason with it.
· Avoid blaming yourself. Fear is universal. It is felt by the bravest strongest people. To be afraid doesn’t mean you are weak. It means you haven’t yet let go.
· Be patient with yourself. Fear and anxiety are the biggest obstacles for everyone. Be thankful and congratulate yourself every time you overcome fear.
· Don’t consider it a defeat if fear returns. The time will soon come when you can sit calmly and move the energy of fear. Ultimately you are the one in control.
Deepak Chopra
