Sunday, August 31, 2008

Tip#184: Take Control – Part 1 - Vanilla Sky


The subconscious is a powerful thing. This is where old habits and addictions do their best to keep you from moving forward. And when this happens make it your job to take control and show them who is boss!

I shared in my previous tip#183 how I experienced profound manifestations of financial goals over the summer. And it continues to progress at a rapid rate. What I did not expect was something inside starting to hold me back.

I started to slip into old habits and addictive behaviours that were slowing me down like eating heavier foods and watching too much TV. It was my subconscious threatening to take control of my life.

Subconscious:
A noun defined as mental activity not directly perceived by the consciousness, from which memories, feelings, or thoughts can influence behaviour without realization of it.

Old habits attack your self-confidence and your self-esteem. Old habits want you to stay in fear even if you want a new life filled with more happiness. Those old habits/addictions want for you to stay in your old self where it feels safe.

Recently my writing guru friend also admitted on her blog Live Lighter that she had slipped into old addictions of drinking, overeating and smoking. This was a very brave move to share this with the world because her blog is about healthy living. Click here to read: The Cure to Indecision

She demonstrated much courage and integrity for acknowledging her old habits returning. She was taking control by being honest with her readers. I believe her decision showed she chose to "wake up" to her current situation.

Vanilla Sky

Vanilla Sky is a movie starring Tom Cruise that has him choose whether to stay asleep or awaken to a new life. And that is more then just a metaphor. The movie was also designed to be confusing at times because it is meant to shake up the viewer's perception of what they are witnessing in the story. Shaking up one's perceptions (paradigms) is a key to revealing what is lurking in your subconscious.

The film is a fantastic mirror for you to ride out the confusion just like the problems of your own life and realize there is meaning to it all in the end. Cruise's character at one point is totally confused in his life and is then approached by a stranger. This person tells him simple steps to taking control of his problems that can also be used in yours:

1. Keep calm
2. Overcome your fears
3. Regain control of your life

Each step is simply and yet it is important to know each one can take time to workout and master. So take control now and choose to start down a path towards overcoming your old habits.

Choose to wake up and recognize when old habits and addictions are holding you back. Choose to recognize your fears. Don't let your subconscious be in the driver's seat of your life. Take control of that steering wheel right now!

For more about taking control with the movie Wanted see:
Tips#170: Take Control of Your Life Now!

Emmanuel Lopez
Motivational Specialist
www.motivatorman.com
© Emmanuel Lopez 2008

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow, thanks for this post, Emmanuel.

It really starts with awareness, doesn't it? Tom's character only really begins to notice something's up when he starts seeing that stranger in different places.

Since the subconscious is not directly perceived by us, our behaviour is often a reflection of our stored beliefs about ourselves, others and the world.

Knowing this has in fact gotten in my way a bit, too. I almost feel as if I have to identify my limiting beliefs before I can change my self-defeating behaviour.

But no more excuses! I've taken control of my life and started changing the behaviour. Heck, I have the rest of my life to find my limiting beliefs!

I realize now that I have to focus on my empowering beliefs, do my daily affirmations and remain steadfast in my vision, goals and action plan!