Influence

 “Our thoughts are unseen hands shaping the people we meet. Whatever we truly think them to be, that's what they'll become for us.” - Richard Cowper

As I see it there are three main factors influencing the world around us. Together these expressions of God form the day to day experience of life.

• God as a whole
• God as everyone around us
• God as ourselves

By identifying how each of these pieces function to formulate facets of the Illusion, the “reality” we perceive from day to day, we get a fuller grasp on who we are and to what extent we function as creators. Not only creating physical possessions, but also crafting our very “reality”. Explore with me now as I share with you a deeper look into the forms God uses to influence the world around us.

God as a whole.

 I struggled hardest with the identification of this expression. I often thought to myself how is it that before comprehension of universal constants a child does not simply float away, never knowing of gravity's pull on itself; never knowing it should stay on the ground, never knowing it “can't” simply float away. After all, do our thoughts not shape the world around us? I came to the conclusion that there are certain ways the world just seems to work, the universal autopilot. This is God expressed as a whole. The forces of gravity and electromagnetism, the replication of DNA and the formation of cosmic bodies are all examples of this expression. No one person has to think for these forces to exist, they just happen, they just ARE!

God as everyone around us.

 Most young children, including myself, are taught to ignore the opinions of others. Be yourself and do not conform to the larger crowd. I believe this is the first time we are exposed to self-actualization, the first time we are told that we can be better than what the world wants for us and the first time we are given free reign to “buck the system”. It is also the first time that we see a glimpse of external influences. The thoughts of those around us are adding touches to our personal world although it may not at first be obvious. 

 If you have ever known a “toxic” individual, one who can never seem to see the bright side of things, you may already understand the affects of others on yourself. The longer you are around this type of person's negativity, the more it begins to intoxicate and seep into your core. As you become tied into their affairs they begin to bring you down. Imagine if everyone else around you constantly thought negative things, it would become very difficult to express positivity. However, extremely positive and successful people can also bring you up. Their “happy go lucky” attitude eventually begins to rub off on you. Even still, when most of humanity looks out into the world they see it as a dangerous, scary place. Those thoughts shift the world around themselves and others. These are the peoples you must avoid, lest they influence your world for the worse.

God as ourselves.

 You are, depending upon your own level of consciousness, the greatest influence on the world around you. Whether it is through your thoughts or perhaps simply by your will, you are constantly shaping your piece of the Illusion. Be sure to realize, however, that there are more aspects to who you are then most people realize. There is the you in your head, your conscious mind, that is constantly interpreting information from the other parts of your mind as thoughts. These thoughts are not truly you, as they often contradict what you believe. Your conscious mind has the smallest impact on the world around you. Then there is your ego, the aspect of yourself that always has “number 1's” best interest in mind. When things don't go “your” way, they are really not going your ego's way. This piece of you is always putting it's opinion into everything you experience, it is the other voice in your head. 

 The most influential aspect of who you are though is your subconscious, the one most often pulling the strings. Although the conscious “you” may think it knows what you want, your subconscious mind often disagrees with the plan. Each of us has subconscious programming embedded within our minds. These “programs” most effectively alter our perceptions of reality. Conflicts within the mind most often occur due to influences by one's upbringing, their moral standing or religious dogma. It can be said that self-mastery is simply the act of getting all aspects of yourself to agree.

These three expressions of God play their part to mold the illusion around us. Finding peace with the roles they each play can, and often does, lead to the truth of our birthright. We are made to be creators, it is our nature! We all have our own set of predefined paradigms that are continuously morphing and shaping our personal worlds.  

Stop fighting against the current of life and actively change its flow! Find faith in yourself, in your imagination, as it is the key to formulating your world, the key to finding your place amongst the God puzzle!