The old psychology says that we're perceiving life as it is and that our mind is like a camera. The new psychology says that we're artists, using thought to paint pictures of reality.
How to get the most out of these Wisdom Quotes:
Put aside everything you think you already know.
Open your mind and heart to receive something new.
Take your time going through each point.
Return to any points that particularly touch you.
In the coming days, listen carefully to the wisdom within you.
1. The New Way to See Life
"Often we tend to think that our mind is like a camera and we’re just taking a picture of life as it is. It’s just sort of a ho hum day or it’s dreary or it’s raining out or it’s okay… That’s the OLD psychology, that we’re perceiving life as it is, that we’re perceiving the dreary day, that it’s just sort of ho hum, or that we’re bored, and that that’s true.
The NEW psychology says that our true nature is a creative capacity with unlimited potential, and that we use our thinking to create new experiences, that it’s built into us to be able to access this creative potential within our minds.
So, instead of, our mind is like a camera, the metaphor is we’re artists and we use thought to paint pictures of reality.
But they’re not permanent so, if you don’t like the feeling of the painting you’re creating or it’s not coming out the way you would like it to, or if it’s not filled with love and understanding, we have this (creative) capacity built into us. There’s a deeper intelligence within that’s beyond the personal mind that, when we get open and quiet, we can access this deeper wisdom, this deeper intelligence. That deeper wisdom always wants to create a nicer picture.
When we’re upset and our thinking falls away, we always feel better. Isn’t that interesting? We always feel better and, when we feel better, we see things differently. We’re painting a different picture of life. All we have to do is get our old thinking out of the way, set it aside, stop listening to it, stop believing it to be an accurate portrayal. It’s just a painted picture. And then, BOOM! You get a new painting.
That’s why people go on vacation, that’s why people like to go for walks in nature.Their old thinking falls away and they feel connection, they feel beauty, they feel love.
Knowing that we become divine painters of life, rather than victims of the way we think life is showing up, we question reality because we stop seeing it as a given and we start seeing that it’s created. It’s a construct that can change, that can be new and fresh.
It’s wonderful to start seeing human beings as painters rather than just taking set pictures of the way life is. It’s very freeing, very freeing to know we have the capacity to paint new and fresh."
~Dr. Dicken Bettinger, from the video: The New Way to See Life (above)
2. Painting Pictures of Reality
This idea of being an artist may be new to you. Consider the creative energy of thought and how powerfully it has been shaping your reality.
Open your mind to see that you are the one sitting at the easel, holding the brush and painting your picture of life. But not only you - everyone is an artist of life, using thought to paint pictures of their reality.
Sit with this awareness and let it unfold in the coming days. See what is revealed to you.
3. Finding a Deeper Wisdom
Surprising things can happen when we get open and quiet. Can you get open and quiet today? What about now, in this moment?
Allow yourself to take a conscious breath and make the simple, instant shift from mind to heart.
The deeper wisdom spoken of here is available to each one of us, but we may not be familiar with it yet. Or perhaps we feel we know this already and yet we still tend to go about our day in a busy, distracted way. Either way, it doesn't matter - there is no judgment here.
Right now, in this moment, can you go beyond your thoughts about life and come back to life itself?
4. Setting Aside the Old Thinking
Perhaps we have heard this many times, that we shouldn't pay too much attention to our thoughts because they get us into trouble.
But here's the question: are we looking through the lens of a camera, showing us the world as it really is, or are we looking at a piece of art that we have created with our conditioned mind?
Consider for a moment the thoughts you tend to think. Are they repetitive? Do you often fall into looped thinking, where you're running through the same thing over and over again? How many of those thoughts are based on old ideas and beliefs, picked up from your parents, culture, background and education?
Is there any room for a new thought to come in?
Getting our old thinking out of the way doesn't have to be difficult or forced in any way. We can simply stop listening to it by not giving it our attention. We can let those thoughts carry on but not be married to them anymore.
Practice sitting in the background of your thoughts, being aware of them but not getting involved. Can you see the pictures they're creating?
5. Connecting With Nature
When you walk outside, walk with an awareness of the nature around you. Let yourself become absorbed by the energy of fresh air and plants. Allow yourself to get lost in the beauty of the natural world.
We say that it's good to go outside and "clear the mind," but how does this happen?
We have a deep connection with nature - we are part of it. Our energy instantly transforms when we're around it. But you don't need to live near a national park or go on a big hike to experience the benefits. Simply looking up at the sky and ever-changing shapes of the clouds or observing the beauty of a tree can bring you back to this moment.
And in this moment, the magic happens. The old thinking falls away and the mind clears. In this state, we experience the deepest satisfaction.
6. Knowing Reality Is Created
Knowing that you have the divine gift of creation through thought, you are no longer a victim of life. This knowing frees you from so much unnecessary stress.
But you will come across many who feel they are victims, who have not yet seen what you see, who still believe their old thinking and that life is exactly the way they see it.
Be patient with them. Listen to them with compassion and let them pour out their suffering. When they are ready, they too will question reality and see that they are shaping their world through the paintbrush wand of thought.