When you start to realise, the role the subconscious mind plays in your everyday decisions, it becomes clear that you are not always acting from a logical and rational perspective.
Many of our most instinctive behaviours that were learnt during our early lives are still a major part of our personality. Over the last few months I have been consciously challenging myself to make choices based on acknowledging the role of the subconscious but not letting it drive my behaviour.
I eat most of my breakfast and lunches alone and I use that time to be mindful. During these meals, the impulse to check my phone will arise and before I know it, the phone is in my hand. I was able to witness my subconscious instinct take over (the desire to be kept busy) and knowing that this is a driving force for self limiting behaviour and fear based reactions, I wanted to get a handle on it.
Setting the intention alone wasn’t enough, the intention helped bring my awareness to reaching for my phone but the phone was still ending up in my hand before I was conscious of what I was doing.
I needed to let my subconscious mind know, I was making a choice to eat without distractions and that choice was not because I was being forced to or an act of asceticism. It was what I wanted, I needed that to sink in. When the subconscious realises you know what you want, it relaxes because knowing that provides some certainty.
Its important to start with the small habits and behaviours to build confidence to tackle the more engrained traits.
Now, I choose to have cold showers, I choose to fast and choose to exercise. I used to feel I deserved to do these things almost as a punishment and that put up a form of resistance which made it harder.
For many of you prioritising meditation can be difficult, the subconscious feels its unfamiliar and wants to entice you to things that are more familiar, more comfortable, more certain. So you need to give it a sense that the decision you are making is one you are comfortable with, one that you have chosen.
To regain your free will, start small, accept the situation, make the choice and commit to embracing that choice.