Saboteurs? Or Sage?

When I work with clients, I have them direct their attention inwards so they can eavesdrop on their thoughts.  Then I ask them a very important question.

Nine times out of ten, it's not their wise, connected, higher-self but some small, frightened (or extremely angry) part that's been activated by Survivor Brain.

Shirzad Chamine calls this activating agent THE JUDGE and defines it as the master saboteur responsible for all our stress and suffering.

When it's got the mike, it broadcasts a stream of negativity, blocking the channels to higher wisdom and possibility.

This doesn't feel good. 

I know this from personal experience.  For years I gave the Judge complete authority—trusting its assessment of present circumstances (and all its predictions for the future) even though its verdict caused a great deal of stress and anxiety. 

One day it dawned on me. 

The Judge is a mechanism of survivor brain. It can only see through the lens of survival. 

Which means the evidence it "examines" is already tinted with scarcity, limitation, and fear. 

Instead of inspiring us to stand strong in the face of adversity (and help each other when things get hard), the Judge causes a panicked "every-person-for-themself" reaction.

The reason we listen to it (even though it causes so much destruction and harm) is because we mistake that voice for our own.

But even though the Judge and the saboteurs FEEL like the real you . . .

They're not. 

The real you doesn't cause your body to be chronically flooded with stress hormones.  The real you doesn't criticize you or put you down.  The real you doesn't compete with other people or try to control them in an attempt to feel safe.

The REAL you feels grounded, anchored, and secure.  Not because things are stable OUT THERE, but because that part of you is connected to a larger truth.

Shirzad calls this part 'The Sage' and it's more powerful than the Judge + all the Saboteurs combined.

The Sage Self is aware of a deeper dimension and sees everything through the lens of possibility.   It knows that even the worst circumstances can be turned into something positive.

The Judge says, "this is BAD, BAD, BAD!"

The Sage says. "No, this is unwanted.  And in the hands of higher intelligence, it can be transformed into something of value.

Instead of using the outdated survival strategies of the Saboteurs, it listens to the wisdom of the heart and takes positive action in the present moment, using it's creative abilities for the collective good.

But those abilities aren't available to you unless you shift out of fear-mode and into Sage-mode.

This takes mental strength. 

If you're interested in developing yours, DO THIS:

1. Recognize when the Judge (or another Saboteur) is at the microphone.

2. Don't give them power!  Direct your attention away from any voice that doesn't belong to your higher self.

   
   

You'll know the voice of your higher self because it causes feelings of clarity, acceptance, and peace. 

So pay attention to your body.  It's always giving you feedback regarding the quality of your thoughts. Do NOT believe any kind of thinking that causes your body to go into fight, flight, or shut-down mode.

I mean this.  Even with all the chaos and scary things happening right now, unless there's an immediate source of danger in the room with you, refuse to engage with doom and gloom thinking.

This is my challenge to you today and I'm inviting you to try it for only ONE HOUR so you can test it out.

Here's How It Works

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1. MONITOR THE MICROPHONE No matter what you're doing, or who you're with, or where you're at, or what's happening around you—listen to the voice speaking into the microphone (of your mind) and pay attention to the response your body.

➡️ If you're contracted, rigid, anxious, afraid, or filled with despair, a saboteur is at the microphone. 

➡️ If you're ruminating, catastrophizing, or projecting blame and hate onto others, a saboteur is at the microphone. 

➡️ If you're feeling helplessness, hopelessness or disconnected from your heart, a saboteur is at the microphone. 

2. DON'T BELIEVE THE SABOTEURS Whatever the saboteur (or judge) is telling you, refuse to just automatically believe it or accept it as the whole truth.  For this challenge, I want you to go in the opposite direction, toward Sage.  To loosen the grip of Survivor Brain, you'll have to take an extreme leap and open yourself to THE EXACT OPPOSITE of what the saboteurs are saying. This will be challenging, I promise.  But I want you to try.  Even if you just open yourself up to the possibility.Here are some examples of what this might look like:

➡️ "Everything's closing in." becomes "Everything's opening up."

➡️ "We're not going to make it." becomes"We ARE going to make it because we've got the power of SAGE."

➡️ "Nothing matters." becomes"I matter.  My alignment matters.  My happiness matters."

➡️ "I'm in financial crisis." becomes"I'm in a financial oasis where new things can grow and flourish."

Check in with your body. Do you feel relief?  Are your muscles relaxing even a little bit?  If yes, you're on the right track, moving towards your Sage Self.

If any of this creates resistance or anxiety (you feel like you're lying or denying reality), try this statement instead:

➡️ "I choose PEACE instead of pain."Give yourself permission to move away from the darkness of the saboteurs toward the LIGHT of the Sage.   

3. ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL THE POSITIVE FEELINGS Standing in the light feels GOOD. It's nourishing to the body, mind and soul.  And that goodness spreads out to the people around you.

Which is exactly when the harsh inner critic will show up to shame you for being so selfish—because how DARE you feel good when the world is in crisis and people are suffering!

Don't give the critic any power.  It's really the voice of The Judge.  Just thank it for caring about your morality and the welfare of all the people on the planet. 

Then keep allowing yourself to feel positive feelings.

Remember: solutions, next steps, and friendly faces (allies) can only be seen in the LIGHT.  Feelings of peace, well-being, and connection are signs that you're connecting to the power of the Sage Self.  And that's what you'll need to make positive changes during this time of great uncertainty.

JUST REMEMBER: We all get swept up in the stream of our thoughts.  We all get hijacked by old survivor strategies.  We all get taken over by the pain and shame of our exiled parts. 

If you've got amygdala and a limbic system (and you do because you've got a brain), it's going to happen and it's going to happen FAST because it's part of your automatic wiring.

Please don't be ashamed when it does.  It's not your fault.  And it's not my fault either.  (I literally got hijacked yesterday). 

This is the human condition, my friend.  It's part of the deal.The goal here isn't to be PERFECT, but to recognize what's happening so you can support yourself with tools that guide you back into heart-mode. 

Every time you do this, you'll strengthen your connection to the neural pathways that lead to your SAGE SELF.

If we're going to take responsibility for our state of consciousness, we all need to get into healthy mental shape! That's why I'm asking you to take this mental fitness challenge with me. 

There's no set time or date.  Just try this for one hour of your choosing.  Even if you just start by noticing the saboteurs, that's a great step.

And if you'd like to share your experience with me, I love to hear from you. (CLICK HERE to email me.)

We each have an opportunity to reduce the suffering in the world, but we need to be in our Sage Selves to do it. 

So let's do this.  Let's strengthen our Sage muscles together!

Sending you so much love,