So far, most of my blog posts on happiness have been about how we think—in particular, the difference between a one-power and a two-power system of thinking. Now we are going to move into exploring how we can live these insights in our day to day lives.
“Two-power” is a way of characterizing the thought system that we all start off in—a thought system that necessarily introduces fear and conflict and suffering into our life experience. What I call “the principle of one power” is a way to undo our two-power thought system and replace it with a thought system that can allow us to experience a deeper, richer and more consistent peace, joy, love and well-being.
Understanding how our thoughts affect the quality of our life experience is crucial, since it is our conscious and subconscious beliefs—in particular, our two-power thoughts and beliefs—that are (as A Course in Miracles says) the obstacles to our awareness of the presence of love. So whatever else we may do to improve the quality of our life experience, it is important to also shift our way of thinking. The two-power way of thought introduces fear and conflict into the very fabric of our awareness, and thus into all of our life experience. No matter how many techniques and affirmations and visualizations we may practice, we will continue to sabotage our happiness behind the scenes if we do not also shift our thinking. Our two-power defined awareness will simply be incapable of deep and consistent and sustained happiness.
But all that being said, it is also vitally important that we actually practice our new thought system—that we actually live a one-power way of thinking.
Happiness is a state of mind ...