"Argue for your limitations and, sure enough, they are yours."
~ Richard Bach
Have you ever felt "stuck in the yuck"? You know, that mental, emotional, physical, quagmire where life seems more about just enduring another day rather than thriving. I remember the day in 1977 as I was perusing Richard Bach's book, Illusions. When I read the aforementioned quote it startlingly seemed to jump off the page and metaphorically whack me upside the head. That day those words became a mantra that I would repeat quite often throughout my life; it was as if Bach was speaking directly to me--as if he knew me intimately. How could he possibly have known the litany of excuses I had been conjuring up to justify why my life seemed so stale...so unfulfilling...so uninteresting...so stuck in the yuck?
From that day forward I became a conscious observer of how often people (myself included) would argue for their limitations with great passion. Of course, they don't consciously realize that is what they are doing and because the egoic self is at the helm; it thrives on the drama of telling "the story." We spend so much of our precious time and energy defending why some limiting experience is logical and acceptable the way it is, rather than creating an opening in our mind for a better experience. Why do we do this? The answer for most of us is that we have developed a serious case of "mental and spiritual lethargy." It is definitely easier to live with our discomforts, discontents, and challenges than it is to initiate the mindfulness to become the conscious observer of our thoughts and beliefs and then challenge them. Why? Because once we are faced with the awareness that we may be thinking down rather than up, we become responsible for changing...and we know that change is something most people try to avoid at nearly any cost.
What are you thinking right now about these ideas? Are you open to seeing where Bach's admonition may be applicable in your own life? Take a look at those areas where you might be inclined to argue for your limitations, justifying why things are the way they are, rather than moving to improve them. Look at your health, relationships, finances, career and even your spiritual growth. If there is a sense of limitation in any of these areas, check to see that you are not stuck in the yuck, arguing in favor of those limitations. It is imperative to understand that the universe is listening intently to your deepest thoughts and beliefs! The blessing and the curse of the universal Law of Cause and Effect is that it only knows one word: YES!
Today I invite you to become a conscious observer of your thinking process and your behavior--observe how the two are linked as one--how one begets the other. Remember, I said observe, don't analyze. When we analyze we tend to get caught up in the "process" and that simply lets the monkey mind out of its cage to reek more havoc and the arguments for staying stuck in the yuck just start to stack up. In the context of this conversation, "to observe" means to look at yourself, your thoughts and behavior with discernment, not judgment. Just observe with detachment. Also listen to your words; if you catch yourself explaining, affirming and justifying why something in your life is not as good as it "could be or should be," don't beat yourself up. Just stop telling the story, breathe deeply, and remember that every belief you hold (or argue in favor of) becomes a mental boomerang. We all know what boomerangs are designed to do: The universe cannot help but whirl our deepest beliefs back around with a resounding affirmation of "Yes, I agree."
May your life today be blessed with a deepened awareness of the infinite possibilities that lie directly ahead when you begin to recognize and challenge the perceived limitations that--up until now--may have kept you stuck in the yuck. The boomerang is in your hands right now and you DON'T have to throw it!
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