1. PRACTICAL ENLIGHTENMENT The Cosmic Principles that lead to an enlightened perspective How your mind works By Ross Bannister Todd © 2009

2. A NEW WAY TO THINK AND LIVE: WILL SHOW YOU NEW WAYS TO MAKE DECISIONS, TO BE WITH YOUR MIND, BODY AND OTHERS. WILL SHOW YOU OPTIONS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU HAVE

3. You will discover that in our search for THE ONE that what we think, what is going on inside our head is more important than what we say or even do.

4. You will discover trying to GET love, sex, attention, or power is much harder then being love, sexual and attentive and sharing that with another

5. You cannot give someone your smile or love unless you have it. If you want a relationship so you can get love it may not happen You have to learn how to be loving of you and others and then share that which makes you look attractive

6. Our focus here is on YOU To show you how to become beautiful inside So that beauty lights up your outside

7. YES SOME OF THIS WILL BE UNCOMFORTABLE BUT THAT IS JUST BECAUSE IT IS NEW THE DISCOMFORT WILL SOON GIVE WAY TO AN EASIER WAY TO THINK AND LIVE.

8. Introduction In ‘normal life’ it looks like physical reality (outer) controls how we feel (inner), what happens to us (outer), and ultimately our happiness (inner) which looks like it depends on others/things (outer). Or it looks like the outer controls the inner

9. BUT But the great Greek philosopher Hermes said “THE INNER CONTROLS THE OUTER” Today you will find out the truth and see how it impacts our lives in a big way

10. FOCUS This new approach will show you how to be focused IN your performance, career or life instead of ON or thinking about your performance, career or life.

11. Time This moment is only right now… right now… The past is gone and we often pretend it exists when we remember it.

12. The imagined or fantasy future is actually a mock up your ego made up of past memories It is impossible to feel future feelings (because they don't exist yet)– but you can feel past feelings that the ego has re- labeled as future.

13. EXISTS What exists? Does the Golden Gate Bridge exist right now?

14. What’s your proof? Your proof is a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge in your mind. Your ego says the picture is proof that it exists but the picture has a time and date stamp on it and it is not now unless you are looking at it right now.

15. We assume that if we can see something in our mind that it exists now. But the picture is only proof that it existed once and not now. The mind is only a museum of the past

16. In fact it takes a fraction of a second for the mind to register a picture of something from physical reality. By the time the picture is registered by the mind, physical reality has moved on past the time when the picture was “taken”.

17. Therefore, everything in your mind is from the past. When you are focused on the past you are “in” your mind. When you are “in” your mind there is less of you available in the present moment.

18. This actually renders you semi- unconscious. As you will soon discover when you are preoccupied with your mind, you can’t see that you are preoccupied with your mind – rendering you less then fully conscious in the present moment.

19. Topic What is really going on? Please notice how you feel and how the room feels Please notice if there anything going on in your mind or body right now

20. OVERLAYS – BEACH Please stop and recall being at the beach with some specific person for several seconds…until you can feel it.

21. Ok open your eyes …does the room feel a little different?

22. WHAT YOU WERE FEELING WAS THE MEMORY OF A FEELING. THE ORIGINAL FEELING IS NO LONGER TRUE, NOT RELATIVE TO WHAT IS GOING ON, AND IS NOT CURRENT.

23. BUT WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THAT SINCE WE CAN FEEL FEELINGS THEY ARE ALL REAL, TRUE, CURRENT.

24. YOU JUST EXPERIENCED THAT THIS OLD BEACH MEMORY FELT REAL BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO ADMIT THAT IT IS NO LONGER TRUE.

25. It is very difficult for human beings to tell the difference between memories of feelings and currently being created feelings.

26. In addition our culture has taught us to trust our feelings. Most people believe that if they can feel ‘it’ then ‘it’ must be real, true, current.

27. But you just experienced a beach memory that was no longer true that felt real. The misleading word here is ‘real’.

28. Since it feels ‘real’ you are ASSUMING that it is still ‘going on’, still happening. This is simply not true! Memories of feelings are not ‘going on’ the in present moment.

29. OVERLAYS – ANGER Please close your eyes Recall being medium angry with some specific person… Until you can feel some of the anger.

30. OVERLAYS – ANGER Ok open your eyes and keep feeling the anger 1. Look around you 2. Notice how you are feeling Nothing in the room has changed but the room probably feels different now that you are feeling anger that is coming from the ‘memory of feeling’.

31. OVERLAYS Does it look like someone in front of you is somehow causing your anger? The memory of feeling you are experiencing is distorting your experience of the present, confusing you about what is actually going on.

32. YES, I JUST SAID YOU CANNOT TRUST YOUR FEELINGS

33. OVERLAYS YOU HAVE JUST EXPERIENCED THAT YOU CANNOT TRUST YOUR FEELINGS TO BE STILL TRUE, CURRENT, RELATIVE, OR ‘GOING ON’ IN YOUR CURRENT SITUATION, REALITY.

34. YOU JUST LEARNED THAT YOU CANNOT TRUST YOUR FEELINGS. Because memories of feelings feel just as real as currently being created feelings… THIS IS A LIFE CHANGING REVELATION! THIS IS A LIFE CHANGING REVELATION!

35. And an important part of your new ‘enlightened perspective’ And an important part of your new ‘enlightened perspective’ Just because the masses/society agree on something does not make it true, correct, or enlightened. Just because the masses/society agree on something does not make it true, correct, or enlightened.

36. This means that you have probably been ‘blaming’ others for your ‘bad’ feelings that were actually coming from your own memories of feelings. Yes your own memories of feelings can make you feel upset, bad, uncomfortable, etc.

37. Then after you blamed your pain on them you decided on what to do to stop the pain Like be upset with them, leave them, quit that job, get a divorce, etc.

38. But your pain/upset is an illusion caused by your own memories of feelings You are basing your decisions on what to do or say next on false assumptions/information.

39. OVERLAYS Human assumption: IF I CAN FEEL IT THEN IT HAS TO BE TRUE, VALID, REAL. But you have just experienced that this is simply not true any more.

40. OVERLAYS Can you recall any recent situations where you were upset that could have been caused by memories of feelings and not the situation or person you were blaming? Clue: the feelings felt familiar-which means they were memories! (like a tape loop) ‏

41. OVERLAYS When you are living in the present, emotions and feelings created in the present go as quickly as they come. Currently being created feelings are like surf they break over you and are gone just as fast.

42. Now that you know you have ‘memories of feelings’ present in your body that can often confuse you It would be in your best interests to begin to discern whether what you are feeling is current, true, relative or a no longer true memory of a feeling.

43. Many people are very concerned with looking good Pretending your feelings are true when they are actually coming from a memory is not pretty.

44. QUESTIONS…

45. Topic Two: YOUR MIND Everyone has a mind. Almost everyone’s mind is busy Almost everyone's mind is chattering away Almost everyone’s mind is judging, ‘guilting’ Almost everyone’s mind has a conversation running that competes with everything else that is going on.

46. MEET YOUR EGO SINCE YOU SAT DOWN HERE HAVE YOU NOTICED YOUR MIND WAS ‘TALKING’ AND I WAS TALKING AT THE SAME TIME? This is yes for everyone whether they admit it or not.

47. So that is 3 things: 1. Me talking, 2. Your mind ‘talking’, 3. You noticing your mind talking Take me out and that leaves 2 things over there, in you.

48. Your mind ‘talking/chattering’ Some other part of you noticing your mind was talking and I was talking at the same time. The part of you that notices doesn't ‘think about it’ it just decides or picks one, quickly.

49. The REAL you is the one deciding which one to listen or pay attention to. YOU ARE THE ONE LISTENING TO THE CHATTER IN YOUR HEAD!

50. THIS IS PROOF THAT YOU ARE NOT YOUR CHATTER MIND AND YOU HAVE A CHATTER MIND

51. THE PART OF YOU THAT IS AWARE OF BOTH THINGS GOING ON AND PICKS WHICH ONE TO PAY ATTENTION TO IS THE REAL YOU

52. THE REAL YOU IS ALWAYS JUST LISTENING TO YOUR CHATTER MIND

53. THE VOICE, CHATTER, THOUGHTS THAT YOU ‘HEAR’ IN YOUR HEAD ARE ALL YOUR EGO.

54. FURTHER, THE REAL YOU USUALLY DOES NOT TALK ‘OUTLOUD’ TO YOU INSIDE YOUR HEAD. EXCEPT IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY

55. YES THIS MEANS THAT THE VOICE IN YOUR HEAD THAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS IDENTIFIED AS YOU IS NOT YOU! YOU ARE THE ONE LISTENING

56. Take a deep breath Stop and consider what you just learned for a minute But stop pretending the chatter in your head is you and just notice it Just listen to it as if it were coming from the person next to you.

57. YES THIS HAS HUGE RAMIFICATIONS YES THIS HAS HUGE RAMIFICATIONS If you allow yourself to get this, Your life will never be the same.

58. THIS IS THE MASTER KEY THAT CAN UNLOCK YOUR EGO PRISON

59. This is the basis, the point on which enlightenment turns, pivots, and SHIFTS.

60. NOW THAT YOUR EGO PRISON HAS BEEN UNLOCKED YOU HAVE TO PUSH THE DOOR OPEN AND WALK OUT INTO THE MOMENT THE PRESENT MOMENT

61. THE ONLY THING KEEPING YOU IN YOUR EGO PRISON ARE HABITS THEY ARE LIKE DEEP RUTS IN YOUR MIND

62. Yes it takes perseverance and determination to change your habits But the rewards are nothing short of freedom “The ultimate freedom is freedom from your mind”.

63. Now you can start a new hobby MIND-WATCHING Yes just watch it, notice what it is saying but DO NOT ENGAGE with it. And practicing disengaging from your chatter mind

64. Lets say you have been practicing disengaging from your chatter mind for 6 months and Your boss calls you in for the first time and really asks your opinion about something.

65. Normally your ego would be chattering away about your how you look and telling you to be careful what you say etc. But you have practiced letting go of it so you do just let go of it, ignore it.

66. Now 100% or you is available to answer the question You are alert, intuition is engaged, and you answer clearly because you are fully present in the moment. You even have a lot to say because this is about your job, what you know

67. This brings to the question DO YOU HAVE TO THINK IN ORDER TO TALK OR ACT? THAT THINKING IS A SEPARATE, DISCRETE, DISTINCT ACTIVITY The answer starts with beginning to notice that since your chatter mind is not you AND THAT THINKING IS A SEPARATE, DISCRETE, DISTINCT ACTIVITY

68. This means that it competes for your attention It primarily competes with what you are doing What your are saying It competes with your experience of the present moment It competes with the present moment

69. If you are listening to your ego You are not in the present moment Your are preoccupied with your ego chatter mind and most likely focused on the past

70. In fact driving a car, etc while you are preoccupied with your chatter mind is like driving while you are on a cell phone….very dangerous But the person on the cell phone seldom sees that because they are too preoccupied with the phone.

71. Without much practice you can look at somebody and tell whether they are preoccupied with their mind or not They talk slower and seem unsure of their movements The chatter mind is like having a boom box strapped to the side of your head, it is very distracting.

72. Especially if you think it is you talking to yourself

73. Ok you you may have been sitting there dying to ask Ok if my ego is not answering my boss’s question who is Or when I am in the present moment, out of my ego mind, who or what is answering?

74. YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS THE REAL YOU THE PART OF YOU THAT DECIDED WHICH ONE TO LISTEN TO THE PART OF YOUR THAT MAKES A LOTOF DECISIONS THAT ARE DIFFERENT THEN YOUR MIND ADVISED

75. Lets say you are walking down the street to the ice cream store and they have 31 flavors and you know them by heart. You finally pick banana in your mind. You walk in the ice cream store, up to the counter and confidently point at the pumpkin instead

76. That was the real you making decisions which is does a lot The real you is the one that turns the wheel to the right when your ego says go left to find a parking place. And sure enough there it is.

77. The ego was not designed to manage your life It does not have enough equipment, it is only a record and play back mechanism It does not have access to your intuition which is probably your higher self answering your questions before you ask them.

78. Ego can’t be in the present moment either It is only aware of the past Letting your ego manage your life is like walking down the street backwards, and looking only backwards.

79. Living the moment you have access to your ego when you need it but primarily your consciousness is spontaneously managing your life, in real time It is effortless and magic You feel light, vibrant, alive, excited and engaged And very present

80. A spontaneous interactive conversation is a wonderful refreshing, alive, satisfying, experience.

81. With your ego not competing for your attention every aspect of your life is more vivid, brighter, more delicious Because you are fully present to all your senses

82. Can you even imagine how much more exciting sex would be if you were totally present, able to ignore your ego chatter mind?

83. Yes you can retrain your ego to be helpful Yes ultimately you must love your ego It is a faithful servant

84. THE PROBLEM IS NOT THAT YOU HAVE AN EGO CHATTER MIND THE PROBLEM IS ONLY THAT WE ARE IDENTIFED WITH OUR EGO CHATTER MIND

85. ONCE YOU BEGIN TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS/YOU AND YOUR EGO THAT’S IT!

86. THE PROBLEM COMES FROM PRETENDING IT IS US PRETENDING IT IS WHO WE ARE AND PRETENDING IT IS SUSPOSED TO RUN OUR LIFE

87. THE PROBLEM IS NOT YOUR CHATTER MIND THE PROBLEM IS YOUR SOCIETY/CULTURE CONVINCED YOU THAT IT WAS YOU THE PROBLEM IS YOUR SOCIETY/CULTURE CONVINCED YOU THAT IT WAS YOU BY NEVER TELLING YOU THAT IT WASN’T YOU BY NEVER TELLING YOU THAT IT WASN’T YOU THAT IS REALLY PRETTY SIMPLE THAT IS REALLY PRETTY SIMPLE

88. Ok now you know Ok now you know So change your identity So change your identity Change the way you think Change the way you think Change the way you live Change the way you live Change your life Change your life

89. This too is a life changing revelation! This too is a life changing revelation!

90. THE REAL PURPOSE OF LIFE IS TO LIVE IN AN AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE OF NOW

91. This is not possible if you are in your head preoccupied with the chatter in your head or pretending feelings from the past are real.

92. You have been living in an illusion where You assumed all feelings are real, current, relevant, true And that the chatter in your head is important because it is you This is simply not true. Yes this is probably confusing.

93. Disorienting You are not in the present where you assumed you were It is like finding yourself at the right house number but on the wrong street

94. – I invite you to WELCOME/ALLOW BEING UNCOMFORTABLE, and/or the confusion as an indication that you are in the process of acquiring an enlightened perspective – Changing old habits is like cleaning the attic or garage, the mess gets worse before it gets better.

95. THIS IS JUST TWO OF THE PIECES OF THIS PUZZLE CALLED ‘WHAT’S ACTUALLY going on?’ THERE ARE MORE.

96. The Bigger Picture We assume we are living in the present and that we can clearly see what is going on so we can make accurate decisions about what we need or what we want to do next.

97. What is really going on? What is really going on? There is a strong possibility that some of our feelings and emotions are coming from memories. It is also probable that our chatter mind is active doing something.

98. What is really going on? What is really going on? Unless we actively remember what we are feeling may not be current or relative to now We will assume that what we are feeling is being caused by the situation or person in front of us.

99. What is really going on? What is really going on? This means that these memories are strongly influencing our decisions of what we do or say next, influencing our decisions about what we need and/or how we need to act. This is basing our decisions on false, no longer true information, feelings, emotions, and memories.

100. For example: Try and picture this hypothetical situation: On the way to go shopping for a dinner party I am on the bus and this woman/ street person starts screaming at me that I am an evil bad person, etc. and it scared me. Which has NOW become a MEMORY/movie that is replaying over and over in my head.

101. Also my mind is playing a memory of my last dinner party that did not go very well, over and over. Also at some point I decided I can’t cook for groups very well so that is repeating over and over in my head.

102. Then at this point I arrive at the super market to shop for the dinner tomorrow and it quickly turns into a nightmare. Because it feels like there are 3 or 4 things going on around me but actually they are only going on in my head.

103. What is the problem? I am blaming my unhappiness, pain, discomfort or lack on the situation or persons in front of me

104. Root Problem … but the root cause is I don’t see the real problem. The real problem is I am not aware that I am totally in my head.

105. You cannot correct the problem if you do not see it As soon as you become aware you are in your head, PREOCCUPIED with your ego, focused on the past YOU CAN CHANGE IT.

107. REVELATION CREATES AWARENESS The revelation is that we have been tricked into believing that the problem is coming from outside of us by memories of feelings, chatter mind, expectations,* attachments*, and beliefs (*later) ‏

108. BY COMMITTING TO ACCEPT 100% RESPONSIBILITY WITHOUT GUILT FOR YOUR FEELINGS, SITUATIONS, ALL OF YOUR LIFE YOU BLOCK YOUR EGO FROM BLAMING EVENTS, OTHERS Definition or Responsibility

109. TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY SHIFTS YOUR AWARENESS TO ALLOW YOU TO NOTICE YOU ARE IN YOUR HEAD TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY GIVES YOU POWER AND AUTHORITY OVER YOUR LIFE

110. If you accept instead of blame then they have not done anything to you, you still have your power which you can use to change how you feel/are

111. ACCEPTANCE IS POWER BLAME IS POWERLESS

112. Take responsibility for how you feel because there is a 90% chance it is a memory of a feeling anyway Accept [not resist] how you feel and do not blame it on others You now have the power to let it go

113. COPYRIGHT 2005 BY Ross Bannister Todd - all rights reserved - do not copy or duplicate. More information can be found on www.ThinkPerfect.comwww.ThinkPerfect.com