Internal vs External Controls
Interesting statement I found in a 'Spiritual Writing'. In reference to Internal vs External Controls. How we respond or react to things.
"by accepting responsibility for all that occurs, by carefully analyzing our reactions to all that occurs, and by eventually coming to balance our reactions to all that occurs so that our actions in our environment are generated within the self and are no longer simple reactions to outward stimulus, we strengthen the so-called magical personality until we are able to have some small claim to “the art of causing changes in consciousness at will.” This is the classic definition of magic”.
Each time a person sustains an unfortunate situation and reacts to it by not giving anger for anger or sadness for sadness but instead offering compassion and comfort where none was expected, we strengthen that thread of inner strength within us and we become more and more associated with a life that is closely related to the organic evolution of the universe."
There is a similar concept in the psychology known as ’locus of control’. Though this term may be unfamiliar to most people, once defined, it is generally understood. The ‘Locus of control’ is an individual’s belief system regarding the causes of his or her experiences and the factors to which that person attributes success or failure.
It is typically described as two categories: internal and external. If one has an internal locus of control, that person attributes success to his or her own efforts and abilities. A person who expects to succeed will be more motivated and more likely to learn.
A person with an external locus of control, who attributes his or her success to luck or fate, will be less likely to make the effort needed to learn. People with an external locus of control are also more likely to experience anxiety since they believe that they are not in control of their lives.
The “internal” thinking people will say things like, “I know it’s up to me,” “I have to learn how to become more successful,” “I am responsible for what happens in my practice,” etc. (Notice everything starts within).
The external thinking people would use terms like; “it’s too hard to succeed these days,” or “the competition in our field is killing me,”.
The internally focused clearly believed that it was, essentially, up to them to succeed. The external thinkers believed that it was up to luck, fate, or that circumstances would more likely determine whether or not they would or would not become successful, more than the strength and quality of their own efforts.
Children who were raised by parents who encouraged their independence and helped them to learn the connection between actions and their consequences tended to have a more well developed internal locus of control. This is in line with one of the many ‘Laws of Nature”, choice and consequences, cause and effect.
There is a eastern spiritual teacher; Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, who said, “The best way to become Spiritual is to consciously evolve to a point where you are not compulsorily reactive any more.
Marcus Aurelius is known to have said, “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment”.
Another description I’ve heard is that things don’t happen TO us but through us. The things that happen were perfectly prescribed to provide us the learning environment we need to learn whatever lesson we need to learn, or maybe unlearn.
The question then becomes what lesson is it we are working on? Many would say we are looking for peace and purpose. What is peace? There are many applications of this word, peace being the lack of war, lack of conflict between countries, people, families.
"Psychological peace"; such as a peaceful thinking and emotions, is less well defined yet often a necessary precursor to establishing "behavioral peace." Peaceful behavior sometimes results from a "peaceful inner disposition." This thought has been expressed in the belief that peace can be initiated with a certain quality of inner tranquility that does not depend upon the uncertainties of daily life for its existence, from the external.
In our bodies we find health comes with an alkaline environment, dis-ease comes when there is an acidic environment. The emotions of fear, anger, hatred, all of the ‘negative emotions cause the fight or flight response for survival to go off in our bodies, if there is no physical response as in running or physical exertion, these hormones that are secreted cause an acidic remnant. If nothing is done with these elements our bodies environment becomes caustic and disease begins. Note that stimuli from the external created a response within our bodies to better prepare to defend against the perceived threat. If the external condition persists or our internal responses are to remain angry, fearful, distress, despondent or we hold onto hatred, these internal hormonal responses will consistently bombard our physical bodies causing emotional and physical destruction.
In order to reverse the effects of the externally stimulated internal reactions, we must do as described. We need to change our response to the stimuli, to minimize the effects of what is happening, to move our reactions to responses. One way is to understand that the things are here as lessons. One of the most influential teachers was named Yeshua; some know him as Jesus. The razors edge of his teachings are not what most churches preach, but rather the lesson of Loving one Another. The sharpest expression of this goal of loving one another was, “If you say you love God but hate your brother, the Truth is not in you”.
Pulling all of this together, if we focus on this most critical statement and understand it is to becoming Loving of one another, to not focus on what is happening but how to have the most compassionate response. To respond with compassion we must know as Yeshua did that all things he did he was able to do because of the “Father” within him. Often our reactions come from fear of being diminished in some way.
Could the lessons we need to learn be what is it within me that is restricting the Unconditional Love that resides within me from flowing into this world without being restricted by my “ego”? My ego is what I think, what I think is happening, who I think I am, what I think this situation means to my survival.
Once we learn that we are all One, and as Yeshua said, “what you do to the least of these, you do unto me”. Means harming our brother ultimately harms ourselves. Marriage is the most intimate relationship we have and in order to have a ‘good’ marriage, the two must become one.
The solutions to world peace is each of us individually coming to the point where we stop restricting the flow of Unconditional Love, the frequency of the Universe, from flowing through us ‘unrestricted’ into this world. This is why I believe when we meditate, we should not focus on the ‘energy flowing from our 1st chakra's up to our 7th (many teach there are 13), but rather have the flow of the Energy go from the Source of all things, through our 7th down to our 1st (which is the most base level) harmonizing our bodies, our chakra’s with the Source and then driving that harmonized frequency into the world.
Whatever we do, however we each must do it, it must start with you. It must start within. If you are looking for the Kingdom of God, look within. Then you can bring that which is within us, that which is stronger than that which is this world, into this world and make the change from chaos to Harmony, from hate to Love, from self-serving to Compassion for all
and bring the Garden of Eden back to this dimension.
Be Peace, Be well.
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