How to Change the World, Right This Minute

A mystique surrounds people who accomplish great things as if they are favored by fate, God, or Nature to change the course of events. In the past, there was a special niche - the man of destiny - for the tiny elite of heroes (or monsters) who altered the lives of millions. What lies at the bottom of this mystique is something you and I don't experience every day: Getting the world to follow one person's will.

Many explanations, from karma to the power of positive thinking, have been offered for what is, in my mind, something not at all supernatural, superhuman, or super anything. To discover how one individual can change the world, we only need to look at how consciousness works. Everyone is aware, but not everyone is self-aware, and of those who are, not every self-aware person understands the actual mechanics of consciousness.

In the west, exploring the mechanics of consciousness is uncommon because there is little tradition behind it, unlike the East, where many traditions of meditation exist. The purpose of meditation isn't simply to calm the mind. There is a deeper intention, to join the world "in here" with the world "out there." The assumption that these two domains are separate leads to all kinds of superstitions and false assumptions about why intentions come true for some people but not others. Does God love them more? Are they marked out by destiny?

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Courtesy of Youtube/The Chopra Well

If you acknowledge the possibility that consciousness links the inner and outer world, there's no need to speculate along these lines. Instead, you begin with the assumption that any thought can change the world. The deciding factors aren't mystical. They have to do with the following ingredients that go into making an intention come to fruition:

Being yourself and following your own truth.

Not creating a false self-image that you must live up to.

Having your own ideas instead of ones you picked up second-hand.

Being passionate about the things that matter most.

Being able to focus, bringing the mind to one point without distraction.

Being centered.

Having the experience of going deep into the mind.

Letting go instead of controlling.

Having confidence that your desire is supported by Nature, God, the universe - something larger than your individual ego.

Feeling integrated in mind, body, and spirit.

Not feeling confused and conflicted.

Valuing yourself and your well-being.

Wanting to pursue an ideal.

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These factors enter into every desire you have. The desire can be great or small. That doesn't matter. What matters is the degree of self-awareness you apply to any situation. Instead of thinking "Will my dream come true?" which is usually a hope at best, or "Do I have enough faith in myself?" which is usually a self-defeating question, concentrate your efforts on becoming more aware. Consider the ingredients on the list above and genuinely make the effort required to expand your awareness. When you take consciousness seriously, it takes you seriously. The reason you can change the world right this minute is that you are already doing so, through the deep process of self-interaction that merges "in here" and "out there," regardless of whether you believe it or not.

Photo: Change the World Tumblr

Deepak Chopra, MD is the author of more than 80 books with twenty-two New York Times bestsellers including Super Brain. He serves as the founder of The Chopra Foundation and co-founder of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing. Join him at The Chopra Foundation Sages and Scientists Symposium 2014.

Hemali Thacker

Yoga Teacher/Empaneled Observer at AYUSH

6y

Excellent...! It is being open to new dimensions altogether which can open immense possibilities.

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Byron Uribe uribe

docente en Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia

8y

La espiritualidad es una humanidad abierta a la trascendencia

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PAUL KASONGO

Manager - Open Cast Mining at Exxaro Resources

9y

Conscienceness open the world of possibilities...

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and whom exactly is the one who suppose to have the mojo to change it where everyone sees the same. everyone with their different from my name thoughts

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