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January 2009 
Everything Changes! Ways of Gaining More Control of our IOS No.20
Posted on Sep 18th, 2008
by 
dannyboy
dannyboy
Central to the whole process of dealing with change are the thoughts our internal operating system generates when it perceives change. Our IOS is the mechanism, if you'll excuse the reference to a system that is anything but mechanical, that drives our actions. As we've seen every action creates an effect…some of which will be interpreted as change. The result is a cyclical interaction that exemplifies the natural evolution and progression of our experience. This segment reviews these fundamental building blocks and suggests that only by becoming more aware of our thinking and what lies behind it can we expect to change our actions and thereby produce a different experience for ourselves and for those around us…
Actions Create Effects
S: Everything we've been discussing in this second section of part three is showing us that by changing our actions we can create new effects. For example, when change disrupts our ability to control the outer environment, instead of trying to regain control we use a new action--turning our attention to our internal operating system's response to the outer environment. To determine how our internal operating system is responding requires us to become more attuned to what we're thinking. Achieving that means taking the time to slowdown and observe our thoughts. The perception of change can generate thoughts that trigger fear. We learned that redirecting our thoughts to the present can reduce and even eliminate fear. By observing our thoughts of the past, present, and future, we are able to see how our thoughts are actions that have varying effects on us.
Q: From our exercise in part one: what did we conclude from trying to write down everything we do that's not an action?
A: That everything we do is an action.
Q: And every action creates what?
A: An effect.
Key Concept: One of the main objectives throughout this course is for us to see that every action we take creates an effect.
S: Everything we do is creating an effect. And where those effects are not contributing to our health and well-being, we need to change our actions to create a new effect that does.
Q: Sounds simple, right?
A: Well, maybe. As long as we extend our awareness to an understanding of what drives our actions in the first place. We know now that our thoughts, which are synthesized from sensory input by our internal operating system, are the primary actions that drive our emotions and create the effect of a self-perpetuating cycle of actions. But without some knowledge of how thoughts are formed and how our internal operating system functions, what drives our actions is mostly obscured from us. This fact contributes significantly to our inability to change.
Q: Which begs the question: how can we change our actions if we don't know what causes us to act?
A: What we've tried to share in part three are the natural barriers we face when trying to make changes. Can we change? Certainly! But our internal operating system doesn’t make it easy; it takes work. The operating system software we're running was designed to keep our species alive, and it's done a great job--we're thriving. But our successes have created new challenges in the process. And principal among these challenges is our ability to adapt to the changes we've created. In many respects we sense the need for change. But our ability to change is hampered by our internal operating system's programming. One analogy we could draw is our internal operating system is very much like the rails on which a train runs. We as passengers are free to look around and enjoy the ride, but the train goes where the rails go.
S: Our internal operating system is like those rails. Despite being aware of the need for change, perhaps even having a desire to change, our internal operating system still resists change for all the reasons we've been discussing.
Patterns of Thought
S: At the root of our internal operating system is our thinking. Thoughts drive our actions as the famous biblical quote suggests--"As a man thinketh, so shall he become." With little recognition of the process our internal operating system programs us with an individualized view of the world. This 'worldview' is a derivative of our thinking and forms the basis of our actions. What we don't often realize is our worldview is confined to the sensory input of our direct experience. And that our views are further limited by an internal operating system that is constantly evaluating and filtering new sensory input against the standards we have already set. What's interesting about our little universe of one is we become quite comfortable with the idea that our view is not only true, but is also widely held by others.
Q: Let me ask you a question, in general do you have a sense that you are a good person?
A: Every person feels this way, regardless of what we've said or done, there is some redeeming light that resides in all of us that leaves us with the sense that "I am a good person."
S: The idea that I am a good person may ironically be one of the factors that keeps us from exploring our thinking further. It's a way of accepting ourselves and being comfortable with who we are.
Q: So what's wrong with that?
A: Nothing. Except that progress depends on growth and any growth we're achieving is largely subconscious. We think we know why we're here, but our internal operating system is still in control of our reactions to most things. If we're going to exercise more control over our internal operating system we have to continue looking for ways to uncover how it's functioning.
Q: So how can we do that?
A: Well, one way is to simply pay more attention to how we respond to all the little events in our lives. If we watch ourselves long enough we'll begin to see patterns in our behavior. For example, if someone cuts in front of you on the freeway, do you get angry? When something happens, do you blame others? How do you feel when you make a mistake? If your last experience with change was unpleasant, how do you think you'll respond the next time it comes up? These patterns of behavior give us an inside look at the way our internal operating system has programmed itself to respond.
Key Concept: Becoming aware of our habituated responses to common situations is another way of beginning to observe how we behave. This can open the door to further exploration of the thinking that drives our actions.
Exercise
What are your thoughts on… liberals, conservatives, the color pink, washing dishes, reality TV, rap music, traffic jams, work, rodents, grocery shopping.
Q: Do you have a strong opinion, mild opinion, or no opinion on these subjects?
Q: Did you have any trouble forming an opinion? Do you feel your opinion is justified?
Q: What was the basis of your opinion, direct experience, the opinions of others, just a feeling?
S: It's important to understand that in the process of forming our thoughts we have developed justifications for why we think the way we do. Our justifications don't have to be logical or based on fact for us to rationalize our thoughts. Most of the time we generalize--depending on what we've heard, observed or experienced--we tend to let this limited input represent what we know about a subject. Feeling our views are justified plays an important part in our sense of knowing and the control we have over our environment. To this end our internal operating system's response to external conditions is automatic. The need for control and the need to know are powerful barriers to questioning the justifications for our thinking. Only in becoming aware of this are we able to begin observing our patterns of response. As we do, over time we find ourselves in a position to evaluate our programmed responses to the people and things in our surroundings, as well as the impact that our responses have on us.
Exercise
Q: Let's take one of the examples from our exercise above and see if our logic holds water. (Choose one of the examples that elicits a strong opinion.)
Q: What are your justifications for your strong opinion?
Is this a generalization?
Q: Could this example be viewed from exactly the opposite of your opinion?
(Ex. Doesn't like rodents. Is there anything positive about rodents?)
A: Do you see that we can't go there without questioning our beliefs--without questioning our sense of knowing?
S: We all have patterns of thought--automatic ways of reacting to situations, people, and the environment around us. Becoming aware of our patterns is another method of exposing the functioning of our internal operating system. Once you see a pattern: first, don't beat yourself up--remember we all have patterns. Second, work with yourself to see if you can delay your reaction--you may think it, but try not to act on it. This new action is likely to create a different effect, both for you, and those around you. Not only is the outcome often surprising, but with time and continued practice you're on the right track to making change work for you!
Note to reader: Thanks for reading! The next segment is our last! In it we'll offer a couple final ideas that you can use to work with yourself in easing the change process... As always, I'm interested in your feedback and/or any questions you may have.
Copyright 2008. The information here is reproduced from Everything Changes! Understanding and Dealing with the Change in our Lives. It is provided for personal use. I encourage you to share it with your friends. Otherwise the material may not be reproduced, copied or used in any other way without written permission from the author, Dan Richardson.
Actions Create Effects
S: Everything we've been discussing in this second section of part three is showing us that by changing our actions we can create new effects. For example, when change disrupts our ability to control the outer environment, instead of trying to regain control we use a new action--turning our attention to our internal operating system's response to the outer environment. To determine how our internal operating system is responding requires us to become more attuned to what we're thinking. Achieving that means taking the time to slowdown and observe our thoughts. The perception of change can generate thoughts that trigger fear. We learned that redirecting our thoughts to the present can reduce and even eliminate fear. By observing our thoughts of the past, present, and future, we are able to see how our thoughts are actions that have varying effects on us.
Q: From our exercise in part one: what did we conclude from trying to write down everything we do that's not an action?
A: That everything we do is an action.
Q: And every action creates what?
A: An effect.
Key Concept: One of the main objectives throughout this course is for us to see that every action we take creates an effect.
S: Everything we do is creating an effect. And where those effects are not contributing to our health and well-being, we need to change our actions to create a new effect that does.
Q: Sounds simple, right?
A: Well, maybe. As long as we extend our awareness to an understanding of what drives our actions in the first place. We know now that our thoughts, which are synthesized from sensory input by our internal operating system, are the primary actions that drive our emotions and create the effect of a self-perpetuating cycle of actions. But without some knowledge of how thoughts are formed and how our internal operating system functions, what drives our actions is mostly obscured from us. This fact contributes significantly to our inability to change.
Q: Which begs the question: how can we change our actions if we don't know what causes us to act?
A: What we've tried to share in part three are the natural barriers we face when trying to make changes. Can we change? Certainly! But our internal operating system doesn’t make it easy; it takes work. The operating system software we're running was designed to keep our species alive, and it's done a great job--we're thriving. But our successes have created new challenges in the process. And principal among these challenges is our ability to adapt to the changes we've created. In many respects we sense the need for change. But our ability to change is hampered by our internal operating system's programming. One analogy we could draw is our internal operating system is very much like the rails on which a train runs. We as passengers are free to look around and enjoy the ride, but the train goes where the rails go.
S: Our internal operating system is like those rails. Despite being aware of the need for change, perhaps even having a desire to change, our internal operating system still resists change for all the reasons we've been discussing.
Patterns of Thought
S: At the root of our internal operating system is our thinking. Thoughts drive our actions as the famous biblical quote suggests--"As a man thinketh, so shall he become." With little recognition of the process our internal operating system programs us with an individualized view of the world. This 'worldview' is a derivative of our thinking and forms the basis of our actions. What we don't often realize is our worldview is confined to the sensory input of our direct experience. And that our views are further limited by an internal operating system that is constantly evaluating and filtering new sensory input against the standards we have already set. What's interesting about our little universe of one is we become quite comfortable with the idea that our view is not only true, but is also widely held by others.
Q: Let me ask you a question, in general do you have a sense that you are a good person?
A: Every person feels this way, regardless of what we've said or done, there is some redeeming light that resides in all of us that leaves us with the sense that "I am a good person."
S: The idea that I am a good person may ironically be one of the factors that keeps us from exploring our thinking further. It's a way of accepting ourselves and being comfortable with who we are.
Q: So what's wrong with that?
A: Nothing. Except that progress depends on growth and any growth we're achieving is largely subconscious. We think we know why we're here, but our internal operating system is still in control of our reactions to most things. If we're going to exercise more control over our internal operating system we have to continue looking for ways to uncover how it's functioning.
Q: So how can we do that?
A: Well, one way is to simply pay more attention to how we respond to all the little events in our lives. If we watch ourselves long enough we'll begin to see patterns in our behavior. For example, if someone cuts in front of you on the freeway, do you get angry? When something happens, do you blame others? How do you feel when you make a mistake? If your last experience with change was unpleasant, how do you think you'll respond the next time it comes up? These patterns of behavior give us an inside look at the way our internal operating system has programmed itself to respond.
Key Concept: Becoming aware of our habituated responses to common situations is another way of beginning to observe how we behave. This can open the door to further exploration of the thinking that drives our actions.
Exercise
What are your thoughts on… liberals, conservatives, the color pink, washing dishes, reality TV, rap music, traffic jams, work, rodents, grocery shopping.
Q: Do you have a strong opinion, mild opinion, or no opinion on these subjects?
Q: Did you have any trouble forming an opinion? Do you feel your opinion is justified?
Q: What was the basis of your opinion, direct experience, the opinions of others, just a feeling?
S: It's important to understand that in the process of forming our thoughts we have developed justifications for why we think the way we do. Our justifications don't have to be logical or based on fact for us to rationalize our thoughts. Most of the time we generalize--depending on what we've heard, observed or experienced--we tend to let this limited input represent what we know about a subject. Feeling our views are justified plays an important part in our sense of knowing and the control we have over our environment. To this end our internal operating system's response to external conditions is automatic. The need for control and the need to know are powerful barriers to questioning the justifications for our thinking. Only in becoming aware of this are we able to begin observing our patterns of response. As we do, over time we find ourselves in a position to evaluate our programmed responses to the people and things in our surroundings, as well as the impact that our responses have on us.
Exercise
Q: Let's take one of the examples from our exercise above and see if our logic holds water. (Choose one of the examples that elicits a strong opinion.)
Q: What are your justifications for your strong opinion?
Is this a generalization?
Q: Could this example be viewed from exactly the opposite of your opinion?
(Ex. Doesn't like rodents. Is there anything positive about rodents?)
A: Do you see that we can't go there without questioning our beliefs--without questioning our sense of knowing?
S: We all have patterns of thought--automatic ways of reacting to situations, people, and the environment around us. Becoming aware of our patterns is another method of exposing the functioning of our internal operating system. Once you see a pattern: first, don't beat yourself up--remember we all have patterns. Second, work with yourself to see if you can delay your reaction--you may think it, but try not to act on it. This new action is likely to create a different effect, both for you, and those around you. Not only is the outcome often surprising, but with time and continued practice you're on the right track to making change work for you!
Note to reader: Thanks for reading! The next segment is our last! In it we'll offer a couple final ideas that you can use to work with yourself in easing the change process... As always, I'm interested in your feedback and/or any questions you may have.
Copyright 2008. The information here is reproduced from Everything Changes! Understanding and Dealing with the Change in our Lives. It is provided for personal use. I encourage you to share it with your friends. Otherwise the material may not be reproduced, copied or used in any other way without written permission from the author, Dan Richardson.
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