Simply wanting to adopt a new mindset is not powerful enough of a technique to change your mental rules.
In this episode, we’re using presuppositions from the neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) model to talk through how to adopt new beliefs.
Neuroplasticity explains the brain’s ability to rewire itself through experience. Flexibility in our neural pathways effects changes in thinking and behavioral patterns and can have a sustainable impact on our mental health and emotional well-being.
If you want to shift your beliefs about the world, you’ll need to exercise your neuroplasticity in order to reprogram your mind. This typically requires some awareness on your part, along with the intentional use of effective tools.
According to the NLP modality, language can be utilized as one such tool. Although we’ll introduce this modality briefly in today’s conversation, our main focus is the underlying set of “rules” or assumptions that NLP provides.
The purpose of the human mind is to process sensory and emotional input, inform our bodies what will support our advancement, and protect us from anything that could be detrimental to our wellness. It accomplishes this function by establishing rules and viewing our lives through the lens that those rules provide to determine what actions to take, which relationships to pursue, and how to interact with the world.
If you reach a point when you realize the mental “rules” – in other words, beliefs – you’ve held thus far are hindering you more than they’re helping you, you’ll need to replace your existing beliefs with new ones.
This is because the mind can’t do its job when it’s completely empty. It won’t allow you to simply delete your former beliefs and wait to see what arises naturally. You must insert new beliefs in their place and then continuously remind yourself of what those new beliefs are until they stick.
Eventually this new worldview will direct your actions and, from there, you’ll realize you’ve created a positive-feedback loop that supports you in maintaining your new mental rules.
After sharing in our previous episode – “Paradigms of Healing” – that we generally adhere to the Wise Earth Tradition, we wanted to explore how to anchor an unfamiliar mindset into your life in a grounded way. The NLP presuppositions we talk about here have provided practical support to us in affirming this paradigm in our everyday lives.
We aim to live according to the Wise Earth Tradition because we see it as the most effective and respectful way for us to practice and engage with ecological well-being. The perceived gaps between our modern lives and the environment dissolve in the presence of this tradition’s wisdom, and we consider this endeavor a requirement if we are to forge new relationships and create connected communities. Ultimately, the overflow from this leads to a more easeful symbiosis across our Earth.
Thanks for tuning in! If you’d like to connect deeper, find us on instagram or reach out at thewanderingbelow@gmail.com. For more reflections, check out Stella’s blog.