Journal of Sacred Work

What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.  – – Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

   Here it is, the formula for our transformation in one sentence. Maslow’s statement may be true, but this level of actualization is hardly as simple as his words suggest. In fact, Maslow placed it toward the top of his hierarchy of human needs – the last layer before transcendence.(click on image to enlarge) How do we change our awareness of ourselves for the better?

   This process is critical for caregivers because, by definition, caregivers are engaged in helping other people through times of great change. If I come to you in need of loving care and your self image is that you are not a very loving person, we’ve both got a problem.

   One of the core truths in our teaching at the Healing Trust is that, Where attention goes, energy flows. I have repeated this statement to audiences and to myself thousands of times. Each time, the truth of it ripples through me with renewed power. I know I need to periodically check my attention because it is so easy for it to turn negative, stirring poison within. As Maslow suggests, if I’m feeling negative energy, it’s time for me to change myself by becoming aware of my thoughts and the circling of my energy.

   The best, short term way to reverse negative thinking is NOT to tell yourself to quit thinking a certain thought but to replace negative thinking with positive thinking – to repleace negative images with postive ones. If I try NOT to think a negative thought, this means I must first think of it again. If I REPLACE the negative thought with a postive one, the negative image fades back, even though it may not disappear. It requires a new awareness, a new set of what Peter Senge called "mental models" for us to change long ingrained awareness patterns.

  So, longer term, what is my basic awareness of myself? If I think of myself as generally discouraged, how do I change that? One way, of course, is to consciously turn my energy toward something postive.

  As a simple example, on the way to work yesterday morning, I caught myself in a negative thought pattern about a person in my life I find troublesome. I realized my body was tensing as if headed into battle when in fact I see this person rarely and knew I would not even see him. Why am I allowing this person to dominate my moods and cause my tension to rise?

  I needed to be aware of what was happening and identify it as a negative thought pattern. Next, I needed to change my awareness – either to think of this person in a new way (the best choice) or to consciously think of something else.

   In that particular case, I took an easy way out. I simply turned on some of my favorite classical music and let my attention move to the flow of the notes. My anxiety began to ease immediately and soon my awareness was postive and productive. In addition, I regained perspective. There was no need to let another person control the balance and agenda of my day.

   It’s not always that easy. But practicing this approach in simple situations may help us when we deal with more complex problems.

   Practice. Meditate. Become aware of yourself as touched by a Divine Spark. As a carrier of Love, you carry beauty within you! Integrate this image into an new self-image. With practice, your sense of Love will increasingly shine through your eyes and through all aspects of life. You will be more aligned with God.

-Today’s Poem – from David Whyte:

Enough

Enough. These few words are enough.

If not these words, this breath.

If not this breath, this sitting here.

This opening to the life

we have refused

again and again

until now.

Until now.