Every second, we are bombarded with information.

According to research in the field of cognition, every second we are bombarded with 11 million bits of information unconsciously and about 40 consciously. How does anyone process so much information? It’s a wonder we don’t blow our own minds or burn out in just a matter of minutes. How we sort and store this massive amount of information is one of the greatest wonders of the world.

It is easy to falsely assume that a conscious thought is more impactful than an unconscious one. But we are not only perceptual beings who process data, we are also intentional beings who place our focus here instead of there and choose this action instead of that one.

Consider the fact that the sheer magnitude of unconscious data creates the need for a system of filters to organize incoming information. These filters become autopilot decision-makers for how we respond unconsciously and they determine the content we perceive consciously. Furthermore, we may not even be aware of those 40 bits that we take in consciously if we are not focused upon them. For example, I might focus on your smile but not the clothes you are wearing while both are among my 40 bits that second.

Where does all this data come from?

We gather it from our environment, from how people treat us, and how we feel inside while we engage with this world. Impressions are made. Our visual perceptions dominate all others. Patterns of “normalcy” get created based on repetition, not morality. We are taught by others to catalog some things as good and others as bad, and for the first five years or so of our lives, we are like little sponges, absorbing it all before our frontal cortex sufficiently develops for us to begin to evaluate our own perceptions. Thus, we begin by seeing through the eyes of others who may or may not be seeing clearing themselves and may or may not have our best interests in mind.

Some of the perceptions we have are because we are broken and others because we are not. But if we don’t know the difference – if we have not done the inner excavation required to authenticate and heal our perspective — then our sense of reality is skewed by the autopilot filtration settings of our data processing, largely programmed by others – our parents, teachers, friends, affiliations, and culture. If we do not intimately explore our perceptual framework, we will be its victim.

The fact that the preponderance of data we process is received unconsciously does not make it any less potent in impacting our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. But it does mean that by design, conscious self-observation and the development of personal responsibility and accountability are essential for those who choose to maximize their well-being, authenticity, and creative freedom. Indeed, that is what it takes to thrive in your own skin

What should we do?

We must actually wake up to the reality of how and why we function as we do, because by the time we are able to do so, we have already been unconsciously programmed in ways that may or may not be authentic for us or for our highest good.

Here’s an example. One day, well into my own process of self-exploration, I made a profound psychosomatic connection. I was holding my arms fully extended in front of me with my hands turned upward like stop signs, explaining to someone that I was just realizing that I had been living my life as if maintaining this arm’s length zone of self-protection around me to prevent anyone from getting close enough to hurt me. It was a fundamental survival strategy I was unconsciously enacting. As I looked at my arms, I understood why I had developed carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists and bone spurs in my shoulders. Once seen, I began to deconstruct the scaffolding of this way of being. I would consciously roll my shoulders and drop them at my side whenever I was scared or unsure of myself. This in turn caused me to experience the vulnerability of lifting my chest up and letting my heart lead me forward into the world. Through conscious and intentional repetition, I was able to override my old pattern by stepping into a healthier and more trusting way of moving through the world.

This kind of remedial inner work is essential to personal freedom. We are all broken in some places within ourselves. But if we don’t take the time to find out where, we limp through life when we could be skipping.  Most people don’t do this inner work. Those who do have access to a kind of freedom and inner peace that is absolutely delicious. So, remember those two numbers and let them motivate you to do your inner work. It’s a matter of mental and emotional hygiene and ecology.

Remember…

Remember as you move through this world, it doesn’t matter so much what is going on outside of us. It matters what we do with that inside ourselves. That is ultimately what determines whether we exist at the effect of external circumstances, or we thrive from the inside out. What is your choice, and how are you creating, promoting, and allowing that to be so in your daily life?

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