Conditioning

What is conditioning? All the many things we do without thinking, automatically, things we have been conditioned to do by society, by our school teachers, parents, family and friends. By acting and re-acting in a pre-determined way as being the correct way to do so, to feel, to speak, to think. The conditioning is set up to give us guidelines to live by, guidelines on the correct way to feel and responses to others, to give us a feeling of security in a world where we do not know what a new day brings.

In fact our conditioning is so automatic and integrated within us that we most often do not recognise it. It may take a reaction from another person or a completely clear moment of enlightenment for us to see what we have been doing, how we have been behaving, or how we feel about something in order to see the conditioning we have been using.

Held within conditioning are such admirable attributes such as self-respect and respect for others, integrity, selflessness, and the willingness to put others before self. Society tries to hold up these attributes as being the ones to aspire to, however it is the individual who must make the choices as to whether they will or not. These aspects of conditioning serve us well, not only in our physical lives but at a Soul level we are most happy when we can live up to these standards for ourselves.

Then there are the other levels of conditioning which on the surface also seem to hold great attributes but in fact spiritually hold us back. Money and our personal connection to it is one of our great lessons. Somehow, within the general thinking on this planet now, money and the collection of a lot of it, has given much power to those who need power in order to feel better about themselves. Money has become something to be collected, stored, craved, and spent. Shopping has become one of our greatest past-times. The collection of money and what it can buy or the security it provides has become a driving force for many people. For others it is so scarce they are afraid of it, that if they don't have enough they won't be able to pay the bills or buy food. While others have so much it feathers their ego into thinking they are superior to those without money or who simply have less than they do. 

While there are many who have learnt the lesson of money, that it is simply another energy that needs to be passed around for all to share in, there is still a huge desire by many for a win in Lotto. They believe this will bring them all they have ever desired but perhaps money is like food? We store some food in our pantry and fridge so that we have another for the next little while, then we get more when need it. We don't keep a barn full out the back for a rainy day, we don't feel more secure knowing the pantry is overflowing, we don't stuff ourselves with more just because the fridge is full. We eat what we need and leave the rest for the next meal.

So the conditioning of money is that if we have enough we will never have to worry again. But what about all the other worries, health, love, happiness? Money can't buy us these either, in fact we know money can't buy us love, or perfect health or happiness. When we have a major incident in our personal lives what is the first lesson we are reminded of? That love and family come first! Everything else falls by the wayside when we realise we may lose someone we love.

So to drop the conditioning of money one needs to put into its rightful place of importance. We need to recognise it merely as an energy which provides us with a means to an end only, and that if we trust that the universe is now, and has always provided everything we need for our existence, then we can put money down the list and move other more important things up to the top of what is important in our lives. Our family, our love, our happiness and inner peace, our willingness to do the best we can in any given moment.