The grandmother said: “Don’t believe everything you hear; they exaggerate all the time.”
Now that I think about it, she was right, and she also exaggerated when she asserted that “they exaggerate all of the time.” I guess we all do it, sometimes!
My uncle used to say “I’m so hungry that I can eat the whole cow.”
My younger sister’s favorite response was: “I’ll be there in a few seconds.”
My mom says: “I have told you a million times, to stop doing that.”
My father used to say: “This soup is so good; it raises the dead.”
We All Do It
Exaggeration seems to be accepted in some circles, but rejected in others. Among friends, and family members sometimes we kid-around and say: “It is not an exaggeration, it is a matter of speech.” But we all know it is an exaggeration. A distortion of the truth; a lie. Perhaps, presented as a joke, but a lie anyway.
Why do we exaggerate? Are we malicious, and trying to deceive others? I have no idea; it is one of those things human-beings do from time to time.
We all exaggerate whether we are conscious of it, or not.
I exaggerate sometimes, and looking closer; I think I do it more times than I like to admit.
No, I don’t mean that I go on exaggerating, or deceiving others on purpose. What I mean is; that sometimes without thinking, and without a valid reason; I distort the truth.
Thought does the same, it narrates, describes and interprets whatever our receptors perceive. Each Thought arrives with a feeling that makes it appear as an urgent, and important permanent matter, but it is not. It is temporary, and it will replace within seconds.
It seems that my mind innocently exaggerates and creates a lot of unnecessary stress. So, I feel insecure, agitated, and I lose my cool.
Exaggerating, or understating details appears to be a common way to protect an insecure image of self-importance; which feels vulnerable, or not good enough to handle life as it is.
Talking with friends and clients; we agreed on five (5) exaggerating statements that tend to keep us trapped in our old conditioning. Those old beliefs that might have been helpful in frightful childhood situations, but that don’t promote freedom, and mental health for the grown-up of today.
The Habitual Beliefs
The old lies we innocently believe and defend are:
– I’m not good enough, I’m incomplete
– I’m not lovable, I don’t belong with anybody
– I need constant external approval. I can’t handle criticism
– I’m bad, nobody wants to know the real me
-The world is a dangerous place for me, I’m different. What I want is not available to me, or my kind.
Don’t Believe Everything You Think
Fact: There is nothing wrong with you for carrying those beliefs! And, it is not a problem that you experience insecurity, fear and self-doubt from time to time, either.
The problem … is that your mind uses those events as evidence that there is something wrong with you, and you believe that thought. And then, you focus your superpower (your attention) on that Thought!
The problem is that the mind is not always telling the absolute truth, and we have the habit of believing, and defending everything that we think.
A personalized version of these statements is available to all human-beings. Some people notice them, accept them as urgent and important, and focus their attention on them, becoming faithful believers and defenders of the old lies.
Other individuals, will notice their personalized version of the statements, and dismiss them by saying something like this, but not exactly this: “I’m not interested. That is not important now. I don’t entertain that Thought.”
I once heard Michael Neill say: “something like, but not this.” And a whole new reality opened up.
Practice, and see for yourself. You will find your personalized version.
You Can Choose Where Your attention Goes
Fact: A Thought will enter your system, and if you are aware of the nature of Thought; you can decide where your attention goes.
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response there lies growth and our freedom.” – Viktor E. Frankl – From: Man’s Search for Meaning. 1959. BEACON PRESS BOSTON
Can you imagine being able to do that?
-Not once or twice, but as many times as the intrusive thought appears.
In my case, the thought says “my safety, worth or value, and my well-being depend on how I look in their eyes” Therefore, I make up excuses, exaggerate, or minimize events, or do whatever seems to be needed to look good. But, who, who is he the one that needs to look good? The ego, the image of self-importance, and that image of self-importance is made-up of Thought. It doesn’t have a physical body because it is a group of thoughts that claim to be me.
Exaggerating, minimizing; is all an attempt to protect the ego. And then, we find out that the ego is a story that we put a lot of effort into creating, that doesn’t exist on its own, that it needs our attention in order to stay alive. And it convinces us that it is very dangerous to stop keeping it alive.
As soon as we see that everything is made up by the creative power of Thought the illusion collapses: No self, no ego, no past, no future, just us; nature in human form, in the present moment. Freedom!
What is on Offer: Hope
We are NOT talking about changing Thoughts, nor about disputing Thought’s content. It is more like learning to surf the never ending waves of Thoughts. Know their nature, understand their rhythm, feel their presence, notice and ride them as they come, and expect the next wave. We are designed to surf the waves of Thought.
Thought is not what we think it is. The ideas that cross our mind are temporary, and are not as urgent or important as they appear to be. The constant creative power of Thought is what allows us to create temporary virtual realities. We live in a world of Thought; we live in a never-ending stream of passing thoughts. Changing our relationship to Thought; changes everything, no need to exaggerate!
J Enrique Roman: – Promoting mental health, self-acceptance, and satisfying relationships, by understanding the creative power of THOUGHT!
Want to read more? Click here
OTHER RESOURCES YOU MAY FIND USEFUL: Some books to read twice, and many more times.
The Space Within (Find your back Home)
The Missing Link (Thought is the missing link between the physical and the spiritual realms)
Invisible Power (Everyone’s Hidden Inner Capacity)
Somebody Should Have Told Us (Simple Truth for Living Well in Simple Terms)
Want to learn more in Spanish? 3PESP.org
Azul Leguizamon Coaching in English and Spanish click here