The Mindshifters Support Group met and watched the second half of the video lecture titled: Getting the Stress You Need, by Dr. Michael Ryce.  This lecture includes a lengthy visualization exercise led by Dr. Ryce for the purpose of reviewing and canceling any un-achieved goals from our past.  This process is important because once the human mind sets a goal, that goal continues running in the mind, whether in the conscious or the unconscious, until it is either achieved or consciously canceled.  As goals are running in the mind they are using valuable resources, our mind energy, which is then not available for our conscious activities.  After years of setting and then “forgetting” goals,  each of us has a large back-log of un-achieved goals running in our mind’s and body’s energy system, which makes it more difficult to function and be flexible and responsive to life’s demands.

The process of consciously canceling un-achieved goals is a simple but powerful way to restore our minds to ease and balance.  This lecture points out that it is a mistake to set a goal for anything that I cannot accomplish in the next waking period, because doing so ties up resources that are then not available for the things that can be accomplished during that waking period, and it increases the chances that the goal will continue running and using resources long after it has been consciously forgotten.  A tool is presented in this lecture which is called The Mind/Goal Management Worksheet and it is available for free at www.whyagain.org .

The idea of only setting goals for the next waking period is difficult for many people in our culture to understand, because we are taught to set short-term, mid-range, and long-term goals.  In this work, those “goals” would be called plans or intentions, and it is perfectly useful to have many different plans or intentions.  However this work realizes that unless one specifically commits with emotion to elevate a plan or an intention to the level of a goal, it will not change one’s behavior.   So, in this work we learn the benefit of canceling any un-achieved goals at the end of the day before sleep, and then “framing” some possible goals for the next day, and then getting a restful night’s sleep knowing that all goals have been cancelled and there is nothing to mentally distract the mind from a restful night’s sleep.  Then the next morning, one can review the goals which were framed the night before and choose whether or not to “set” those goals for completion during that next waking  period.

After the video, there was a discussion about the process and several people gave testimonials about how effective this process has been for them and the surprising results they noticed when they specifically cancelled goals before sleep and then set a few specific goals for completion during the day.  Then it was time in the group to do a Reality Management Worksheet and one member volunteered to work her process out loud in the group.  Once again, the process was intensely emotional and productive, and the entire group benefited from the willingness and honesty of this week’s courageous volunteer.

At the end of the worksheet process the member who volunteered wanted to talk about how powerful the worksheet was as a tool, and how it “forced” her to look at her issues at a deeper level.  I corrected her and pointed out that the power lies not in the worksheet process but in her willingness to face and process out any negative energies and  emotions from her system.  The proof if this is that many people have been exposed to this worksheet process as a tool, and very few of them actually pick up the tool and use it to dismantle the false and dis-integrative energies they hold in their minds.  So, as my father used to say, “Let’s give credit where credit is due.”  The worksheet process is a very useful and potentially productive tool, however it only works for those who are willing to pick it up and engage the process with honesty and willingness!

Thanks once again to all the members who share the experience Tuesday night and who hold the space of Love and compassion for each other as we walk this path together.

We Come From Love, We Are Made of Love,  We Are Love!  Everything else is false.