Have you ever felt constrained and trapped by your circumstances? These limitations come in many disguises. For me personally money was a big issue – I always had a feeling of being limited and governed by how much money I had.
Although I did not know it at the time I was an economic slave, because of my fixed mindset about money. The culture at that time reinforced this feeling of lack. My mother’s mantra was “money does no grow on trees.” This constant negativity around money caused much stress
My entrapment often meant keeping a job that I did not like. My rationale was security. One of the ways to escape this world of drudgery was alcohol. For a few hours one could escape the monotony of mediocrity. The mind altering substance of alcohol seemed to offer some light relief. Gradually and insidiously this too became a form of entrapment. Suddenly realising you were “hooked”. And try as you might its grip held firm.
Habitual habits can take many forms, anger being just one of them. The culprit always seems to be out there. Truthfully this is a living hell; we create our own mental straight jacket. A prison of our own making, the habit of blame, guilt and shame.
We feel alone and in our misery, utterly powerless. Yet even in this fortress of darkness, when we cry out from the depths of our own soul we are heard. How that help comes with split second timing often reawakens the idea of miracles, some divine intervention.
Little by little we are taught the wisdom that begins to teach us how to dismantle this fortress brick by brick. Each time we practice the art of choice our faculty for discernment grows from a tiny flickering light; to the full blown realisation that this prison was of our own making.
By choosing once again we learn how to forgive our naivety and our foolishness. We are not weak and powerless, but quite the opposite. With the straight jacket now off, we have a new perspective, a new way of seeing. One that is congruent with our deepest desires. We are free! Our first few steps will be uncertain but one thing is for sure. Once you have tasted freedom and from here you know the possibilities are endless.
One simple habit you can form is one I found very useful from A Course In Miracles: whenever you have an unpleasant feeling, simply acknowledge that you do not like the way you feel right now. Then ask you inner guide is there another way of looking at this. Then listen to the answer that will come and accept that new wisdom. Over time you will learn to trust this process more and more as you experience more synchronicity in your life. End the war with yourself and go with the flow.
Joseph Geraghty is founder of School of Mastery for Emotional Intelligence. An acknowledged Psychotherapist & Change Master, helping people transition faster to their goals and ideal lifestyle. For a free session with Joseph visit http://www.schoolofmastery.org
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