Elliott's Blog

What are your If-Then's

This entry was posted on 6/29/2009 6:34 AM and is filed under Secrets to Peace 2009.

While the commercials are usually silly, I love the question, "What is in your wallet?" which accompanies one credit card advertisement.

I love it because I am always asking, of myself, "What's in your programming?" It is my "if-then" programming that I call into question.

We all have these programs running; oftentimes they dominate and totally control our experience. Because these "if-then" statements are like an operating system, which functions at our core (subconscious), instead of showing up in our conscious awareness, we are often not aware they even exist until the "then" portion of the conditioned response shows up. Then, what often happens is that instead of us owning our programming, these "if-then" statements appear to own us.

When these programs control us, we feel powerless. We see ourselves as victims of the outer world and feel incapable of change.

While it is true that we often have very little apparent power over the "if" portion (the stimulus) of the "if-then" program, we have complete autonomy over the "then" (reaction or response) portion.

This can show up in very obvious ways such as:

· If she does parrot "I love you" after I have said "I love you" I need to question whether or not she still cares.

· If it rains today, I will not be happy.

· If it is Friday, then it is going to be a good day.

But it can also show up as more subtle truths:

· If I try to love, then I will just get hurt.

· Every time I trust, someone lets me down.

· If I give them an inch, they will take a mile.

Most of the programming we have accepted as our "worldview" runs unchallenged. In other words, we seldom even examine this programming unless the pain being created by the program is greater than the risk of changing our minds. So, most of the time we just know what we know, and let it go at that. What I know can be so much more destructive than what I do not know.

What I know can forever keep me from becoming a greater me.

This is why Socrates was spot on with "The unexamined life is a life not worth living."

I think that every life is worth living, but when I lie on my death bed, provided there is time for reflection, I want to remember that I questioned everything, and constantly re-created who I was and how I showed up in the world.

I am not yet who I long to be. There are still programs, remaining "if-then" statements, which evoke mindless reactions instead of thoughtful responses. But, knowing I am free to become the greatest me I can imagine is absolutely exhilarating.

Each day, each opportunity to discover and replace self-created pain with life affirming Love is like a perpetual treasure hunt. In each program where a love-based response replaces an autonomic reaction, it is like finding gold, enriching my day to day experience beyond my ability to describe.