6/12/9 - Beliefs Which Hold Us Hostage

Beliefs Which Hold Us Hostage

6/12/9

Tyranny comes in many forms.  Webster defines tyranny as: oppressive power; a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler; a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force.  As Americans we say we live in a “free” country, but if you examine some of the laws imposed on us; say for instance, car insurance laws, tax laws, marriage laws, occupational laws, licensing, medical mandates such as immunizations, cancer therapy, abuse of pharmaceuticals, etc. then we must reconsider our definition of “free.”

Freedom always comes with a price whether it means using passive resistance, exercising our own personal rights, or taking a strong stand against tyranny; if we don’t use our freedom—we lose it.  Some of us (me included) have bought into tyrannical systems perhaps unknowingly.  Such as religious systems which tell us how we are to conduct our lives in order to “get into heaven.”  Or a medical system that only authorizes drugs, surgery or “orthodox medicine” in order to cure diseases and discounts reputable holistic health programs.  Or a marriage system which entitles partners to control the time, energy (sexual and otherwise) and relationships which exist outside of the marriage parameters.  We do have the choice, however to “buy into” these tyrannical systems—or not—depending upon our own beliefs.  In actuality it is our “belief systems” which hold us hostage, not an imposed system of tyranny.

So let’s look at a few beliefs which hold us hostage.  If you’ve been raised a Buddhist, you’ve been taught the belief that life is suffering and the only way to escape this “veil of tears” is through non-attachment.  Perhaps that is why so many “enlightened” Buddhist’s forsake marriage and become celibate in order to detach from the suffering intimate relationships bring—and also the joy.  If you’re a Christian, you’ve been taught that if you’re good and do all the “right things” that when you die you will go to “heaven.”  Does this mean that there is no means of obtaining “heaven” here?  So our whole focus in life is to “grow old and die” in order to obtain heaven.  No wonder nobody wants to “stay young and live happy.”  Now if you’re a Taoist then your life is reflected in passivity and “non-action” because you believe that the Tao will mysteriously take care of yours and everyone else’s needs.  No wonder our world is “bankrupt” and we’re expecting “someone else” to bail us out of the mess we’re in!  (I just hope our next president isn’t a Toaist.)

Realizing for myself that it’s not the tyrannical systems which cause me grief, but that it’s my own misguided belief systems which hold me hostage; I began to examine some of these beliefs which have held me hostage at one time or another.

Growing up Mormon or LDS (Latter-day Saint) I was marinated in a whole menagerie of beliefs.  From: “If you don’t pray over your food (out loud) it is inedible.  (Try that on a first date and see how well it goes over.)  To: listen to your Priesthood head (mine being my husband) and everything will turn out okay.  (So what if your husband wants to try-on polygamy?)   Or being a Bible-basher I held onto the Pauline Gospels for a long time.  The ones that say “Women should be silent in Church” or that “It’s best for a man not to touch a woman.”  (Do we have cooties or something?)   Or that a woman shouldn’t leave her husband for any reason—that it’s better to put up with the physical, mental or spiritual abuse rather than to get a divorce.  I’m sure Saint Paul never had to deal with any of these issues himself being a celibate priest.  Thank God he didn’t turn any of those beliefs onto his children—only a billion or so God-fearing Christians!

And so after examining many if not all of my beliefs which held me hostage (the latest being that if I suspend my joy and bliss long enough for another person to “get it” that we might share in that joy and bliss together) I found that I’d been totally tyrannized by my own self.  I indeed had the power to oppress myself by adhering to beliefs which keep me hostage in a system of my own tyranny.  There was marriage tyranny (someone else is responsible for my joy), occupational tyranny (I can’t practice my chosen occupation of Tantric therapy in Utah unless I want to get arrested), friendship tyranny (I have to be nice to people in order for them to like me), spiritual tyranny (If I’m a good girl, God will reward me accordingly), personal tyranny (If I act out or do something deviant—like walk around naked in my own home and yard—that everyone will see me as nuts), mental tyranny (It takes a lot of time and effort to be successful; and if anything’s going to get done right, I have to do it myself).  I have spent a lifetime of tyrannizing and terrorizing myself by my own system of beliefs!  “So when does this all stop?” I asked myself.  “RIGHT NOW!!” I screamed back.

I just started Wayne Dyer’s newest book, Excuses Begone! and in the third chapter he lists the catalogue of excuses we have for not getting things done.  I call them the “beliefs which hold us hostage” list.  Here are the 18 primary excuses or beliefs:

1. It Will Be Difficult
2. It’s Going to Be Risky
3. It Will Take A Long Time
4. There Will Be Family Drama
5. I Don’t Deserve It
6. It’s Not My Nature
7. I Can’t Afford It
8. No One Will Help Me
9. It Has Never Happened Before
10. I’m Not Strong Enough
11. I’m Not Smart Enough
12. I’m Too Old (or Not Old Enough)
13. The Rules Won’t Let Me
14. It’s Too Big
15. I Don’t Have the Energy
16. It’s My Personal Family History
17. I’m Too Busy
18. I’m Too Scared

Well, I haven’t got to the part where he tells how to unravel these excuses which have entangled us.  But last night I went to my friend Brandon Valentine’s lecture on Noetics (I really was listening Brandon—not falling asleep after a very busy day) and he showed us a simple technique to clear the “story” which holds us hostage.  He left me a card with the instructions on the back which I would like to share with you.  (Thanks Brandon)

Any mood or emotion beneath pure joy is a sign of attachment to a limiting thought form.  Use the Noetics Clearing Formula to transcend these lower states, whenever you are feeling less than your optimum.

ADMIT STATE: How do you feel?

FIND CAUSE: What would you have to believe to feel this way?

COLLAPSE THE BARRIER: Wrap the entire state-ment (state of mind).  Challenge the statement to see if it is ultimately valid.  Tap it out as being “…just the energy of a belief, not me.”

AFFIRM WHAT IS TRUE.  HERE IN THE NOW.  “I am…I can…”

For any of you who are interested in Noetics Clearing, Brandon has volunteered to give lectures here at Heartsong FREE OF CHARGE each Thursday at 7:00.  I’m excited to take Brandon’s Pre-Clarity class in a few weeks followed by the Guaranteed Clarity.  (I hope then to clear up some of the other beliefs which hold me hostage which I’m not aware of.)

One last thing.  I met Wayne Dyer and his daughter, Tracy, at the I Can Do It Show in San Diego last month and I have consigned Tracy to create some custom-made Heartsong Book Bags for my Heartsong Collection of books.  I’m going to include my three books: Heartsong, Becoming One—the journey toward God, and Heart Wide Open.  I’m also including Wayne Dyer’s book: Excuses BeGone! and his new DVD The Shift.  I’m going to offer it all for the low price of $150.  So if any of you are interested, please let me know so I can let Tracy know how many book bags to make.  (Also, if you know of a good editor, please send him/her my way as I just lost mine due to a major fall-out.)

Thanks for listening—J. Bird (Janae, Jesse or WBCW)