DAY 5 OF THE 7 DAY MENTAL DIET

…God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16). Today, attempt to greet everyone, and view everything through the prism of love. This begins by greeting all with a smile. You will not do this perfectly, no one but a saint could, the purpose is to be aware of love, experience the truly limitless capacity we have for it, to both give and receive. Observe how those whom you meet respond when you greet them with love and how your thoughts are altered when a situation or a bit of news is viewed through the prism of love. The path of love is the straight gate and the shortest way to the great Goal, to live on the Spiritual Basis one day at a time for eternity. Oh, and you are keeping this to yourself for the next couple of days, right?

DAY 4 OF THE 7 DAY MENTAL DIET

Consider: “A man is sitting by a camp fire when a red hot cinder flies up and falls on his sleeve. If he blows that cinder off at once, without a moment’s delay to consider it, no harm is done. However, if he allows it to rest for even a single moment, under any pretense, the mischief is done, and it will be a troublesome task to repair the sleeve. So it is with negative thought.” Simply stated we have no control over the thoughts that surface in our consciousness or are foisted on us by others but we do choose how we will address those thoughts. Living on the Spiritual Basis the path is clear: When we turn immediately to a Power Greater Than Ourselves in prayer as soon as we become aware of the negative, regardless of its source, we remain unharmed, our sleeves hole free. We additionally avoid the trap of morbid reflection set by trying to figure out or understand why a particular thought crossed our mind; we just take the necessary action to address it. In time, this will become second nature.
By this point in the diet you are probably experiencing some difficulties, it may feel like everything is seemingly going sideways, you have more trouble now, more spiritual discontent than when you started the diet. Outstanding! You have shaken your world at its bedrock and when the shaking stops, a new and much stronger foundation will be in place. Stay the course and under no circumstance discuss what you are doing with anyone until you are done with the diet. Onwards through the fog.

DAY 3 OF THE 7 DAY DIET

Day 3: Having fun yet? The diet may be simple, but it certainly is not easy. Continue your vigilance, watching for morbid reflection, that negative or destructive thinking that seems to be always lurking. When you find your thoughts drifting into any of these areas stop immediately and supplant the negative and destructive with a positive thought and action where applicable. As you are beginning to discover, this is a strenuous effort and few would be able to do this for much more than seven days so take heart, the dividends you will receive are worth the effort. Keep in focus the reason for this diet: to be aware and to learn to plant only positive, constructive, optimistic and kind thoughts in the garden of our consciousness; watered with the love and guidance of  the Creative Power of the Universe. Shhhh…remember don’t tell anyone you are on a diet. Follow this advice as well if you are considering starting a weight loss plan, an exercise program or quitting smoking and your odds of success will increase exponentially.

DAY 2 OF SEVEN DAY MENTAL DIET

Day 2 of Diet: If you are still considering whether to attempt this diet, take a moment in quiet contemplation and ask yourself why? What is there to be afraid of? This contemplation alone is worth the price of admission, but always be gentle with yourself, avoiding morbid reflection at all costs.

If you began the diet yesterday, today choose the subjects you will entertain in your consciousness. Measure the emotional tone, being aware at all times of what you are thinking and how it is affecting you. Now for some good news, no one does this perfectly. When you become aware that your thoughts have wandered, and they will, ask yourself quietly why you drifted into that thought and how it affected you emotionally. Often these will just be random thoughts triggered by a scent, a word or phrase or any of the multitudes of sensory inputs we experience daily, so do not give into paralysis by analysis. Remember, often a cloudy day is just a cloudy day, nothing more. If you find that perhaps there is more to it and you cannot take a moment now, briefly note the thought and when you have the time, reflect on it in gentle contemplation. There is a rule here that must be obeyed. The rule is we are never to struggle or engage in negative appraisal of these random thoughts. We simply observe what floats through our mind as dispassionately as we can; this is not an exercise in judging, only in observing and noting affects.

The Seven Day Mental Diet: Day One

THE SEVEN DAY MENTAL DIET

The seven day mental diet is a lesson in reaping and sowing. In the garden of our thoughts, how careful are we with the crops we plant and nurture in our consciousness? One of the fundamental truths of being is the thoughts we entertain will outsource into our lives. Consider: What are you reading? Watching on television? What topics do you consistently chat with friends and family about? What thoughts do you dwell on in private? These things comprise the food we feed our consciousness.

Day One: Be aware of the thoughts you entertain and the “food” you feed your mind. Be conscious in the moment. Keep notes if it helps, no extra points for spelling or correct punctuation.. DO NOT tell anyone that you are on a diet, to do so guarantees failure. If the idea of doing this makes you cringe, than don’t. You are not ready. Just file it away and when ready, this wonderful tool of freedom will be available.