“Where we put our awareness, and for how long, maps our destiny.”
~ Joe Dispenza
What if I told you…
…that having chronic insomnia makes you incredibly powerful?
What if I also told you…
… that having chronic insomnia means you are a highly focused, action-oriented, and motivated person?
And then, what if I insisted…
…that the fact that you are even reading a blog like this means that you are indeed a powerful creator!
Would you believe me??
Well, it’s true.
Let me explain…
Chronic insomnia isn’t a disease, a disorder, or a diagnosis. It’s a skill. A conditioned response. A habit.
I’m not a fan of medicalizing insomnia or applying labels to sleep challenges because doing so encourages the subconscious to identify with those labels. It sends a constant message to the mind that something is wrong!
The truth is, our bodies know how to sleep just like they know how to breathe and pump blood. Sleep is to wake what dark is to light. It’s a mind-body endeavor that requires no analyzing or diagnosing. But if we focus our awareness on how much we’re not sleeping and practice insomnia for a long enough period of time, we get pretty good at it. (I personally was an Olympian!)
Stay with me while we unpack this a little further…
If you have a chronic case of insomnia, you have NOT failed. You have massively succeeded at creating an undesired outcome.
A problem is just an undesired success.
You aren’t failing at sleep, you are succeeding at not sleeping!
See the difference?
This perspective takes us out of “problem-solving” mode (because there is nothing wrong with you) and into "creation" mode. It focuses on what you DO want instead of what you don't want.
Outcome versus problem.
Success versus failure.
This is important because it means:
If you can be successful at insomnia, you can be successful at sleep!
You just need to change the GPS.
Switch your focus.
Become skilled in a different direction.
Let’s take a look at that Joe Dispenza quote again… (because one can never read too many Joe Dispenza quotes).
“Where we put our awareness, and for how long, maps our destiny.”
What we focus on we create MORE of. It’s that simple.
A little bundle of nerves in the brain stem makes this true...
There is a small but powerful (I mean really, seriously powerful!) part of the brain called the RAS (reticular activating system). Its job is to act as filter for your mind.
Have you ever noticed that whenever you get a haircut, all of a sudden you start noticing everyone else's haircut? (Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this?)
Or, how about car shopping... you're looking at cars and then all of a sudden you start seeing the make and model of the car you want EVERYWHERE!
This is your RAS hard at work filtering OUT things that aren't of interest to you and filtering IN whatever is in your GPS. (Cars and haircuts.)
But the same thing is true with insomnia...
If you’re flexing your focus muscles really hard on fixing insomnia, you are beautifully manifesting insomnia because your RAS is working hard to find and create more evidence of insomnia.
Yay, you!! (I realize this may not sound like great news.)
But consider this perspective...
The fact that you are succeeding so brilliantly at insomnia is a testament to how powerful your RAS is!
When I was very ill with Lyme disease, I tried everything outside myself to heal. Eventually, there was nothing left to try. Plus, I was going broke.
Only then was I was compelled to dig a little deeper. To go beyond just treatments, healers, and modalities.
I had to look at what was going on in my own mind.
I started studying the mind-body connection and learned everything I could about how how the subconscious works. Once I started to understand how committed the brain is to creating whatever it is we focus on, I realized how truly powerful I am.
Not only was I amazing at insomnia, but I was really good at a bunch of other illnesses too!
My subconscious was nothing shy of brilliant at keeping me out of life. As I focused desperately on anything that would help me recover, I was sending a near constant message to my mind that I was broken and in need of repair. And that it was up to someone or something “out there” to fix me.
Once I recognized that I was part of the problem, I ALSO realized I was part of the solution.
Well, hallelujah!
I stopped handing my power over to circumstances outside myself and changed my focus from "fixing" illness to "creating" wellness."
Put a new address into the GPS.
Wellness vs. illness. Outcome instead of problem.
You can do it, too. Here's how:
3 Easy Ways to Reset Your Subconscious GPS:
My goal for this blog is to remind you of how truly powerful you are. Does this mean that the consequences you are experiencing from insomnia aren't "real?"
No, absolutely not.
I know how real they are because I've been there.
But take heart, my lovelies, because you have the innate ability to create your reality and direct your subconscious mind. It's just waiting on your instructions. Plug the result that you DO want in your life into your GPS and watch how things change.
This is the miracle of neuroplasticity.
Cheering you on always,
Beth Kendall MA, FNTP
Holistic Sleep Coach
Health Disclaimer: The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.
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