I talked with an old friend yesterday who has tons of money, as in maybe $20 million, and that is after he lost about 30% in the down market of today. Believe me, he wont ever have to worry about not having enough food to eat or no place to live, or no coat to wear. He lives frugally, well below his means. I must admit I was losing patience with his hand ringing and whining. I know him well enough to stay away from emotional cheer-leading. No “Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow” or “Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off and Start All Over Again” for this guy. He is always afraid of the wolf at the door, even when the stock market is soaring. I hung up the phone and had a great, big knot in the pit of my stomach.
That evening I felt the knot unravel as my husband and I talked about the sadness that had been creeping into my nervous system and how the power of patterns can set a trap if we are not vigilant. Being pattern aware is the foundation of the programs we offer at Creative Energy Options. Yet, even I can get caught if I do not stay awake and alert.
All of us are subject to folks who are dooming and glooming in this complex economic period, just as we can be at the effect of too many days of inclement weather. First, about emotions: feelings are transient. We can change them. We can transform mad or sad to glad, albeit, it takes some focused discipline to do so. No, we cant make the sun come out from behind a bank of clouds, although we can change a mood, break through an emotional cloud, feel more positive, become more resilient.
And yet, even on a day of economic highs and lots of sunshine we can let fear and depression lead our thoughts and no amount of “mind control” can make the day any better. That’s how my old friend behaves. Why? Because we are now in the world of engrams and patterns. In neuropsychology an engram is a way which memory is stored, when present experiences are based on the reactivation of old memory traces. Example. Say you are three years old and your family is going from Oklahoma to Florida for vacation. You are being told about long stretches of beach with white sand, blue ocean and lots of waves to jump in and play. And then you get to Florida, straight to the beach, to see the ocean for the first time. Yikes! It’s a dreary day, raining and turbulent surf. As the family heads for the hotel there is a sense of upset, injustice, disappointment and well, gobs of depression. Fast forward to another time, another beach, maybe on your honeymoon to the Caribbean. Life is great. That is until you go to the beach. White sand, blue ocean just enough waves and you feel depressed. Huh? The day is great yet all the shade umbrellas are taken, or maybe they ran out of rum or coconut for the special island dazzle drink. You are angry and depressed. The old engram has been reactivated and the pattern of victim jumps into play, life is not fair and you are sure to be disappointed and it’s not your fault. Victim Pattern!
Now, let’s take the economy. Think about how money was handled in your family. It will give you an important indicator about how to react to the present economic roller coaster. Remember, you can take charge of your momentary emotions, yet if the same old reactions continue no matter what is happening you are in the world of engrams and patterns and a deeper look into the past is required. In our programs we teach how to change the victim pattern to its healthy opposite, the explorer. No more poor me or blaming others. The explorer can admit the deal is lousy and then move into how to fix it with less blame and more creative energy.
So, let us all use this complex and confusing time to take charge of our emotions and become pattern aware!
