The Programmed Mind

The News

For as long as I can remember I disliked watching, reading about or listening to the news. It bothered me to take part in the ritual of watching the world burn.

Sure, it gave my family members something to talk about, but it also raised their level of anxiety.

The news remains a gateway into stories about dread and fear.

“Positive" news lacks demand. People want to see blood. It reinforces what they already know about the world: it is a dangerous place. Of course, many use it to stay informed, but that comes from fear of ignorance and not being able to partake in conversations about current events with others.

The danger with consuming news is that it opens you up to deep programming.

Programming

Programming occurs when we allow for an external story to replace our internal one. It means that foreign information becomes embedded in our circuitry to then instruct our thoughts, emotions and behavior.?

The news is powerful at this as it reinforces a mental image that many of us already hold. This is not so much the fault of the news than of the mind that accepts it.?

Our operating system

Our supercomputer runs on one of two operating systems: Fear or Love.?

The Fear OS stems from conditioning and trauma and invites information that supports it.

We are much more likely to accept opinions that confirm what we believe to be real than those that don’t. This locks us in the fear narrative cycle and removes us from ever knowing, being and acting as ourselves.

In a Love OS, external stories cannot find a way in. You will always see information in the light of your own truth. This doesn’t mean that you are impertinent to others’ suffering, but you won’t allow for an external truth to overwrite your own.?

By the same token, you won’t permit yourself to be inundated with detrimental narratives with emotional impact for which you cannot show any responsibility.

Self-ownership

Those who own themselves focus on stories that are within their range of action and reach. To own yourself means to be involved on your own terms.

It is hard to break out of the slump of emotional victimhood when you are bombarded with messages about a world in turmoil.

As long as you don’t consciously choose to turn the noise down and your own voice up, you will always lack the space to progress.?

Shifting your mind is the first step that leads to self-ownership. But it requires your full attention.?

If you subject yourself to “external messages,” do so consciously and with some distance. If it gets too close, tune it out, reclaim yourself.?

Control

In order to retain control, expose yourself to external messages only when you are the most lucid and aware. Mornings and evenings are dangerous as your mind offers the least resistance.?

Life is about writing your own story. Be vigilant of the authors your mind keeps inviting in. They have no part in your book.?

Here’s some mental spring cleaning you can do immediately:

• Revisit your sources of information
• Become aware of what external stories do to you emotionally?
• Define “lucid times” for consuming social media and news
• Find outlets of inspiring content and consume those equally
• Investigate your mental image of the world
• Begin replacing “media consumption” with active creation
• Engage in critical conversation to train your critical thinking

As always, I am here to listen and exchange if you want to dive deeper into any of the topics I write about: [email protected]

Warmly,

Olivier Egli

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