by Karyn Stirling
www.karynstirling.ca

“If you think and feel a certain way, you begin to create an attitude. An attitude is a cycle of short-term thoughts and feelings experienced over and over again. Attitudes are shortened states of being. If you string a series of attitudes together, you create a belief. Beliefs are more elongated states of being and tend to become subconscious. When you add beliefs together, you create a perception. Your perceptions have everything to do with the choices you make, the behaviors you exhibit, the relationships you choose, and the realities you create.”    – Joe Dispenza

The first attitude I began to (unknowingly) create was toughness – the state of being strong enough to withstand adverse conditions or rough handling; also defined as a material able to absorb impacts, sudden forces and shock. I don’t have much memory as a young child, but one occasion I will never forget was the first week of grade one. It was my birthday, and my teacher beckoned for me to come forward and get my birthday spanks!!?? I refused. She then dragged me, in my desk, up to the front of the class and attempted to turn me over her knee. It was humiliating – I was powerless.

Fast forward to grade seven. My father was building something in the garage – a surprise. A week later… Surprise!!!! “Your mother and I are getting a divorce. I built this stereo stand for my new apartment. I’m leaving today.”  Not another word was spoken about it by either parent – ever again. I was stunned and speechless, abandoned and alone.

As a result of these and other impactful incidents, subconscious beliefs were formed – I am powerless, my voice doesn’t count, I don’t matter, I am worthless. Emotions were swallowed – undigested – and absorbed into my body. I discovered “substances” which numbed my pain and masked my true Self. A rebel rose up to shield me from the storm and inadvertently built a fortress around me. No one could get in (or out). My underlying perception of life and authority was that it was hostile, volatile and not to be trusted. I became the defender and voice for the vulnerable – relentlessly carrying “the world” on my shoulders, not wanting to see others suffer… no longer cognizant of my own. The choices that I made, the behaviors that I exhibited, the relationships that I chose, and the reality that I created, stemmed directly from the perceptions that I held – and in that role, I played out the familiar dramas over and over again…. powerlessness, out of left field surprises (shock), and abandonment, to name a few.

My saving grace was books – spiritual information that trickled into my life as my mother attempted to heal her wounds, but also (having married young) the arrival of my daughter – a beautiful little mirror who reflected back to me the innocence of the Soul – curiosity, joy, and love. I had been given a glimpse of TRUTH and something deep inside of me began to stir. I began to remember my Self, and as I did, it became my work to recognize all the unhealthy behaviors that had formed, and to dissolve the layers of attitudes, beliefs and perceptions that had become my reality. Peace is the reward of this work, and the inspiration to courageously allow the divine expression that is truly YOU.

What realities have you created? As you take responsibility for the unconscious creation of your reality, you will also recognize that you alone have the power to change it.

Health – spiritual, emotional, mental and physical – is our true wealth, not the economy as we have been led to believe. Humanity is currently impoverished – reflected in the fact that our healthcare systems are overwhelmed and have become industries – a direct result of our behaviors, attitudes, beliefs and choices.

As we choose health individually, we will heal the collective.