Where in your mind do you put your focus? Some live in their analytical mind. Some escape into imaginary fantasy. Some are caught in a materialistic trance. Living in an illusion is limiting & biased.
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Welcome to the UltimateQuest.org podcast. This is episode #8 and we are continuing the 'Finding your passion' series. The title is “Where are you really at in your mind?”
In this episode, we help you to discover where you are really at! Which part of your mind do you ‘go to’ most often? Where does your attention tend to go?
WHERE IN YOUR MIND DO YOU PUT YOUR FOCUS?
Do you know where you REALLY spend your time? We’re not speaking in the geographic or physical sense. What we mean is where in your mind do you place your attention & focus. Where does your awareness rest, most of the time?
Are you constantly thinking & analysing? Are you trapped in the narrative and drama behind your emotions? Do you spend a lot of time in the past or the future? Or do you spend time in some fantasy or trance state?
Wherever you place your attention is where you’re really at! All of these states distract you from true present-moment reality, which is where we should aim to be. This is our optimal state of functioning.
Let’s work out where your conscious focus or awareness usually resides. We will next explain the three main options...
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OPTION #1: SOME LIVE IN THEIR ANALYTICAL MIND.
We can live predominantly in our analytical mind. Here we use our intellect, logic & other thought-based processes. People residing in their analytical mind tend to be more logical & practical. They analyze most things using their thinking mind. They can use data & reason to interpret their world. Others use verbal or logical reasoning. So that’s where they predominantly ‘live’, in their logical or intellectual mind! Does that apply to you?
It’s possible to get stuck in over-analysis of a situation, particularly an emotional one. They can obsess over some event that happened and how they feel about it. They go over the story again and again, and endlessly ruminate on it. They make strong judgments about the situation.
Although this analytical ability can be very useful at times, it is not our optimal state. Our thinking mind can lead us astray and lock us into a state of over-analysis. Our analytical mind is limited. It does not give us the full picture. It does not provide an optimal assessment of our life.
Our analytical mind is great for occasional, practical problem solving. But it’s not a healthy place to be in all the time. Your analytical mind might feel very real, but it’s actually just a clever illusion. The thinking mind is just a gross simplification of reality. It’s an edited version of truth based on selective data and inaccurate processing rules.
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OPTION #2: SOME ESCAPE INTO IMAGINARY FANTASY.
Another place in our mind where we can reside is our fantasy zone. Here we create some fantasy state or fairytale within our mind. Our attention & awareness then resides in this illusion or fantasy.
The fantasy zone is just outside of logic & reasoning. It can feel like we are partly detached or disengaged. We all do this at times! It can provide a much-needed buffer or escape from the real world. But for some people, this fantasy state becomes their norm.
Let’s now look at the two main variations of this fantasy zone…
This fantasy can incorporate a vague hope that things will get better in the FUTURE. But if we don’t make a real change right now in the ‘present-moment’, then all this just remains a distant hope! If our focus is too much on the future and not enough on the now, then our dreams will never become reality.
Alternatively, our fantasy might focus on the world of our PAST achievements. We enhance these past stories and endlessly relive how wonderful or glorious it all was! But this is still an excuse for not trying something new in the present-moment. So, we end up not doing what we are really meant to do. We put off finding our passion & purpose in life. By focussing too much on the past, we never live our true purpose in the present!
There are various other fantasy states we all engage in. These range from low-grade daydreams to a more engaging hypnotic or trance-like state. These illusory states provide a temporary break from reality. But they can quickly become all consuming. They delay us from making real changes to our life!
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OPTION #3: CAUGHT IN A MATERIALISTIC TRANCE.
The most seductive illusion is our entrapment to the materialistic world! This mental state is quite powerful & hypnotic. That’s why so many people spend their time & place their awareness there! They become attracted to the ‘shiny objects’ that the material world dangles in front of them. They focus on materialism and become entranced or hypnotized by it all. So, that’s where their attention & focus remains fixed. They have become trapped in a materialistic trance!
The materialistic world is filled with stories, action & drama. It’s so engaging & alluring! It offers exciting temporary pleasures that can become addictive. No wonder so many people are drawn into it! We become mildly hypnotized by all the stimulation.
Materialism makes us forget who we really are! We forget how we are really meant to live! Instead, we prioritize WANTING to succeed and NEEDING to acquire things. These materialistic drives are taught in childhood. They have been socially conditioned.
LIVING IN AN ILLUSION IS LIMITING & BIASED.
Most of us spend our time in one of these 3 main illusory states. We might identify with our analytical intellectual mind. Or we might enjoy living in some fantasy world! Or we might be hypnotically entranced by materialism and always need and want more.
None of these mental states are our optimal or true reality! They don’t give us the big picture. They are all very limited & biased. They distract us from true present-moment reality. We can’t make the best life decisions when our mind is trapped in some illusion. This is not how we are meant to live!
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WE SUPPRESS OUR POTENTIAL WHEN IN AN ILLUSION.
So, what’s the result of living in an illusion? Sadly, this is the situation for so many of us! When trapped in an illusion, we don’t realize how limiting the illusion really is. We might feel quite comfortable there, but we are not truly whole and at peace.
When living in an illusion, we avoid facing reality. We are not living as our true self. We are not deeply content or fulfilled. We miss out on lasting happiness & true joy! We don’t pursue our passion & purpose in life. We deny ourselves our full potential. We miss out! What a pity.
LIVING THE ILLUSION CAN BECOME OUR DEFAULT.
So, why don’t we just break free from this illusion? Why don’t we instead choose to be fully awake & aware? Why don’t we just choose to live in present-moment reality? That is our best state of consciousness.
The main reason is that we have become so accustomed to living in an illusion. These sub-optimal states have become our normal default position. Over time, we have forgotten how to access our true natural state of our being! We usually bypass our most optimal mental state.
WHY DO WE CHOOSE ILLUSION OVER REALITY?
Another reason for avoiding true reality is that at first, it seems so bland & neutral. It’s certainly not as alluring as the Las Vegas-like experience of the materialistic world! It’s also not as dreamy as living in a fantasy world, which feels more like Disneyland. And it’s certainly not as edgy & clever as the realm of mental intellect.
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WE MUST PROACTIVELY CHOOSE REALITY!
Living in present-moment reality is more neutral and less exciting than an illusion. Therefore reality doesn’t hold our attention as easily.
It’s so easy to slip into an illusory state. It’s like living on auto-pilot. The alternative is to keep our hands on the controls and steer our direction at all times. To avoid illusion, we must actively choose a conscious state of reality in every moment.
If we don’t proactively seek the truth, then we will miss out on our true reality! Reality is the only place where we can be our true self. Only in reality can we follow our passion & purpose in life. Reality is where we can engage with our Ultimate Quest!
PRESENT-MOMENT REALITY IS OUR NATURAL STATE.
Constantly needing to choose reality might seem overwhelming! But this is actually our natural & authentic state of mind. Choosing reality was effortless for us as a young child. Children have natural access to the power of the present-moment. They don’t get stuck in over-analysis or obsessive thinking. They are not held back by the past or obsessed with the future. Children are always seeking joy in the present-moment, and are not trapped in materialism.
ADULTS ARE CONDITIONED TO BYPASS TRUE REALITY.
As adults, we have forgotten how to access this natural state of reality! We have become socially conditioned & distracted by the pressures of life. But it IS possible to overcome our conditioning and return to our natural state. We can choose to make true reality our primary residence. This is our ideal place to reside.
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PRACTISE CHOOSING REALITY AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN.
As an adult, we must re-learn how to recognize this true state of reality. In fact, choosing reality over illusion is a fundamental issue in life! It’s the crux of our human dilemma.
So, we must consciously choose present-moment reality as often as we can. It does get easier with practice! Eventually, it can become our preferred mental state again! This can be where we normally reside in our mind.
THE BEST LIFE DECISIONS ARE GROUNDED IN REALITY.
From a state of true present-moment reality, we can live more authentically. This state of awareness is very important for making life changing decisions. By facing reality, we grow as a person and improve our quality of life! The best life decisions are grounded in true reality. This is how we can make life choices that fulfil our passion & purpose in life! These optimal choices then bring us more joy, contentment & inner peace.
SUMMARY OF EPISODE #8:
Let’s now review what we’ve learned in episode #8 which was titled “Where are you really at in your mind”. To be successful in living your passion and purpose you need to be in the right state of mind. This is particularly important if you want to tackle your Ultimate Quest. In this episode, we invited you to explore where in your mind your focus & awareness tends to go. That’s where you are REALLY at!
Many people live in their analytical mind. They tend to overuse their intellect. They over-use data & reasoning. This is much too limiting! Some get trapped in over-analysing life events. They go over the story again and again, and endlessly ruminate.
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SUMMARY OF EPISODE #8 (CONTINUED)
Some people reside in an imaginary fantasy zone or fairytale. Some live in their past experiences. Others dwell on vague hopes for the future. Regardless, they are stuck in their fantasy, and don’t take positive action in the present.
Most people are also caught in a materialistic trance. They become attracted to the ‘shiny objects’ of the material world. They are hypnotised to alway want and need more.
All of these places in our mind are just illusions! None of these states are our optimal or true reality. They are all limited & biased and don’t give us the big picture. It’s so easy to slip into one of these illusory states of mind. It’s like living on auto-pilot. But we can break free by consciously choosing true present-moment reality. This simply requires a higher awareness and a hands-on approach.
Choosing reality over illusion might seem hard to do. But it’s actually our most natural state. We could easily do it as children, but as adults, this has been conditioned out of us. But, we can learn to utilise true present-moment reality again. It is easier with practice.
We live authentically in present-moment reality. We make better life choices that can fulfil our passion & purpose in life. Only by rejecting the illusory states can we discover our life purpose. Only by embracing reality, we can tackle our Ultimate Quest.
But how do we tune into this optimal state of mind? And how do we stay there? We explain this in the next UltimateQuest.org podcast which is episode #9. This is titled “Optimising your state of mind”. Hope to see you there!
Congratulations! You have completed episode #8 from the 'Finding your passion' series by UltimateQuest.org