Psychology Has It Backwards

Gratitude is a deep and beautiful feeling filled with love and appreciation for life itself.  We all learn as we grow up to be grateful for people and things, to say thank you for presents, to express thanks for our blessings on special occasions, to link our gratitude to special things and people and places.  But true gratitude is a profoundly spiritual connection to the joy of just being.  In the words of Sydney Banks, "Gratitude and satisfaction have wonderful effects on our souls.  They open our minds, clearing the way for wisdom and contentment to enter.  Once you become grateful, the prison bars of your mind will fall away.  Peace of mind and contentment will be yours." (The Missing Link, p. 131)Support the show

Discover the power of trusting your own wisdom and common sense rather than seeking advice from experts. Explore the spiritual nature of money and the importance of success before financial security. Learn about the magic of letting go of money and shifting focus towards wisdom and common sense for better outcomes.

People get confused by the term "free will."  Things happen that are out of our control!  How could we have free will?  We can't make the world conform to our desires.  But we can make the best -- or the worst -- of our fate.  Everything in the universe is part of the infinite energy of creation.  So things are always in motion, changing, creating.  We have a gift, free will, the ability to think any way we want to about anything we want to think about.  We are constantly creating our personal experience of everything that is happening around us.  Free will is the power to make the most of adversity, enjoy beauty, appreciate people and things, or to find the negative in everything and torture ourselves with insecurity.  Free will is what allows us to change our minds, to see beyond our limitations, to choose our course through life. Support the show

It's a challenge for people living in a world where people keep saying "Think about it," "Keep working on it, you'll figure it out;" "You just need to give it some more thought!" to resist the temptation to work hard at figuring everything out.  Figuring out what's wrong with them, figuring out HOW to DO rather than looking to SEE and KNOW.  The effort to keep on trying to figure things out keeps us from quieting our minds and realizing the wisdom always accessible to us.  When we find our inner, spiritual strength, though, answers come to us effortlessly and we know them by the good feeling they bring.  Wisdom, as Sydney Banks said, arises from deep within our own consciousness.  We would add, never from the memory bank we call the intellect.Support the show

Dive into the complex world of ego and its profound effects on our self-identity and relationships. Discover how ego can be both a source of confidence and a mask for insecurity. Explore the damaging impact of ego-driven thoughts on self-esteem and learn the power of embracing authenticity. Through compelling stories, listeners are encouraged to break free from ego's grip and nourish self-acceptance. The conversation also highlights ego's subtle influence in parenting, revealing how understanding our children's true selves can lead to healthier connections.

The podcast delves into the contrast between wisdom and intellect in therapy, highlighting how focusing on details of problems can hinder progress. It explores the impact of past trauma on emotional well-being and emphasizes the importance of shifting focus to the present moment. The discussion emphasizes the role of wisdom in guiding clients towards insights and relief, rather than getting stuck in problem-solving.

Dive into the concept of psychological innocence, revealing that our actions often stem from our state of mind. Explore how perceptions of 'difficult clients' can change with compassion and understanding. Discover a touching story of a woman and her foster child, highlighting love's power in healing. Uncover the complexities of insecurity in relationships through a man's misguided fears. Finally, learn how forgiveness and compassion can break cycles of blame and encourage personal growth.

Dive into the intriguing concept of separate realities, where each person's unique perspective shapes their interpretation of life. Personal anecdotes reveal how misunderstandings can erupt from simple differences, like a sofa's color. The discussion also emphasizes the necessity of communication, especially in therapy and family dynamics. Hear how children and adults perceive responsibilities differently and the importance of fostering empathy in relationships. Ultimately, it advocates for compassion and finding common ground amidst our varied experiences.

Anything that pulls us out of the present moment, when we are creating our life, is memory.  Memories can be powerful, beautiful, touching, or horrifying, upsetting, sad.  No matter what, the past tricks us and keeps us from living life in the now, moment-to-moment.  We can recall past joy and think the present can never measure up to it; we can remember past upset and think it is ruining our lives.  Understanding the past is not about sorting out the content of our thinking, but recognizing that the past, good or bad, is over.  We can't change it; we can't fix it; we can't make it happen again.  We can learn from the past, deeply appreciate it, or leave it behind.  But true contentment is found in the now.Support the show

The field of Psychology, with the intention to end suffering, has fostered suffering inadvertently by focusing on people's past.  Because people suffering mentally in the present tend to be focused on thinking, thinking, thinking to try to find relief, they are caught in their intellect and using their memories to try to understand themselves.  When we are processing thoughts from our intellect, all we have to work with is the past because the intellect is all stored thoughts.  So without an understanding of how the mind works, how quieting circular thinking allows for insight and clarity in the present, psychology has made the assumption that relief only comes from dealing with the thoughts people are thinking.Support the show