The leaves on the trees have begun to express a subtle shift in their colorful hues of yellow, red and orange. I've noticed flocks of Canadian geese commencing their seasonal migration as the morning air feels cooler and darkness seems to appear at an earlier time of the day.
The same cycles that the natural world experiences from season to season are also going on inside of you. These cycles represent a circadian rhythm that helps to maintain a dynamic balance point between our internal and external environments on both a biological and behavioral level. The ability of your body to digest, metabolize, detoxify and eliminate food is also directly related to how you digest, metabolize, detoxify and eliminate emotions.
Many people don't always recognize the subtle shifts in nature just as the emotional changes occurring in our bodies or lives are often overlooked or even ignored. Patterns of migration and transformation are a necessary expression for survival. They're a protective mechanism that we learn to trust as we evolve. Even more they reflect the beauty and mystery of the interconnectedness we share with the infinite universe. Being mindful of the value of these natural changes awakens the magnificent power to thrive. A statement that I feel sums up this concept is what I call The LifeLine Law of Transformation and Creation:
"Emotions transform energy; energy creates movement; movement is change and change is the essence of my life. The more I choose to change the freer I feel."
The secret to creating a thriving life is buried beneath the surface of our daily reality, within the subconscious mind. In his book "The Biology of Belief," Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., explains:
When it comes to sheer neurological processing abilities, the subconscious mind is millions of times more powerful than the conscious mind. If the desires of the conscious mind conflict with the programs of the subconscious mind, which "mind" do you think will win out? You can repeat the positive affirmation that you are lovable over and over or that your cancer tumor will shrink. But if, as a child, you heard over and over that you are worthless and sickly, those messages programmed in your subconscious mind will undermine your best conscious efforts to change your life.
Dr. Lipton goes on to further state that the conscious mind can process about 40 bits of data per second but the subconscious mind can process 40 million bits of data in the same second. The relevance is simple -- The subconscious mind is one million times more powerful as an information processor than the conscious mind. The conscious mind is perceived to be the driving force of life, but in actuality it only represents approximately two to 10 percent of our awareness. The subconscious makes up the other 90 to 98 percent. It directs the function of our 50 trillion -- plus cells like a symphonic orchestra in perfect harmony. The subconscious is both a filter and a distiller of information, experiences, thoughts and feelings -- from your beating heart and the regeneration of your cells to food metabolism and waste elimination. The subconscious mind is also the storehouse of emotions, memories and beliefs whose effects are vivid, hypnotic, illusionary, pervasive and deep-seated. It's the reactive mind; it reacts to the environment so that we can adapt and survive. In other words, it shields and protects us like a tour guide though an uncharted land.
You can better understand the influence and power of the subconscious mind through this example: Imagine that your body is covered with a bright red itchy, painful rash. Notice how just reading about a rash causes you to scratch! How does having the "rash" make you feel? Angry? Frustrated? Or do you feel ashamed or insecure? If given a conscious choice, would you ever choose to have a bright red itchy, painful rash? Would you choose to feel angry, frustrated, ashamed or insecure? Of course not -- the rash and the emotions associated with it are subconscious and reactive in nature.
You'd never consciously choose any unpleasant symptom, stressor or disease; while at the same time you know that everyone experiences them -- so where do they come from? Just like nature, the subconscious mind does not choose or judge, it simply reacts when it gets activated. Being able to discern between conscious actions and subconscious reactions is the first step to acknowledging the value of symptoms.
Symptoms and perceptual stress are a dialogue -- a feedback mechanism -- that let you know that you now have the ability to live intentionally. They represent the gap between your conscious awareness and subconscious knowing. When you have an experience that's painful, scary, or stressful and you lack the conscious resources to process it, the subconscious mind will initially and immediately create a gap as a means of protection. Like the letting go of leaves or the migration of Canadian geese, symptoms let you know that it's time let go, get back on your path, and shine your true colors as you are Divinely designed.
An exercise you can begin is to simply observe your body. Notice what symptoms you feel as you go throughout your day. Rather than feeling limited or identified by any pain or pressure, ask yourself this simple yet practical question. "Would I ever choose to feel this way?" The answer will always be "Never!" Now, as with any gift, embrace the symptoms and stress of your body and life with love and gratitude knowing that a part of you is speaking as a means for you to own your power.