by Robert Wilkinson
We've certainly all had them, along with everyone else we've ever known. Self-destructive thoughts are part of being human, since they help us learn to choose how we want to live. In learning how we deal with unfortunate mental and emotional patterns, we can see how to let go of thoughts which lead us to unhappiness, and choose attitudes which will lead us to happiness and fulfillment.
I last gave this to you about 12 years ago, and saw it contained many gems which needed to be rewritten in a more understandable style. I added a lot of context and re-framed many of the original concepts, and because of the length, I’ve split it into 2 parts. So away we go on the voyage of changing self-destructive thoughts to better ones!
We learn many unhelpful thoughts and feelings when we are young. Because of the need to develop an ego which can interact with the world, our mind and feelings become attached to each other in what is called “the desire mind,” kama manas in Sanskrit. Our self-affirming desires shaped by the mind create karmic patterns which play out in how our lower self attracts circumstances which will confirm certain things.
However, we don’t get to do everything, nor do we get to do anything beyond its expiration date in our Dharma, or higher Purpose for being alive. This creates friction in the desire mind, which tries to impose its demands on the outer world. Some of these succeed, while others don’t. We may try to push the river, but in the end we will be exhausted while the river continues to be itself.
The thoughts, feelings, and desires we get attached to create effects and consequences down the time stream. This changes our karma, and changes the types of things we must experience to become fulfilled. As we use up the potential in an idea, a behavior, a relationship or whatever, unless it is true for us, we must let it go and turn toward other things for fulfillment.
Ego mind does not like that at all. The desire mind does not want to let go of anything unless it already has something else in its grasp. The ego mind always finds all kinds of reasons why it should have what it wants, and becomes fixed in its desire.
When our lower ego is frustrated because it isn’t being fulfilled by a thing, person, or behavior it thinks it should be fulfilled by, the default of the mind is to turn its emotional thoughts to destruction of that which is frustrating its ability to feel fulfilled. These are the moments to detach from our desires, and take an objective look at what thoughts we’d rather be generating. And that involves seeing the thoughts and desires which need to be voluntarily renounced, since that ends the pattern of those things and strengthens the Spiritual Will through applying the power of the Higher Self to take command of the mind and feelings.
Self-destructive actions, thoughts, and feelings have certain effects when we are young and inexperienced. They have different effects as we age and respond to adult experience. And they take on an entirely different meaning as we become the Loving and Wise Intelligence we always ARE. Destructive patterns show us our Ring Pass Not when we are young, and show us those parts of our ego we need to transform from negative to positive when we are adults.
When we're younger or refuse to mature, self-destructive anything usually means reckless actions, feelings, and ideas. These lead to problems because recklessness usually leads to wreckfulness. Until we come to an understanding of potential consequences of self-destructive behaviors, we will be bound in mental and emotional slavery to our Saturn function. I offer ways to take command of your life in Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend as well as explain why we are limited by the past until we’re not. We need to learn how to eliminate, now and forever, certain things which keep us from fulfilling our highest purpose for being here.
At various points in life, we naturally turn away from certain thoughts, desires, and behaviors, since they no longer fulfill us. As we mature and welcome understanding our life and others' lives from an integrated view, “self-destructive behaviors” takes on a new meaning, since we become aware of which habits, feelings, and ideas must be eliminated forever. It's like the need to clear out the closets before we bring new material in.
It is said the Force is Three-Fold; there is a Creative aspect, a Preserving aspect, and a Destroying aspect. This is the energy field in which we all live and breathe and have our being. We also are on Earth to be creators, preservers, and destroyers. As we become our Higher Self, we move away from destructive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors which no longer fulfill us so we aren’t letting our past interfere with our present. Then we know that each destruction of an old pattern creates a void which will attract new life experiences which will be fulfilling in their own unique ways.
See you tomorrow with part 2, where we’ll continue the theme with examples of how I trained my mind to let go of unhelpful thoughts.
© Copyright 2019 Robert Wilkinson
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