The challenge is remembering. Being on The Path requires continually choosing. But most of the time you are acting out of habit and unaware. Being on automatic results in following your old path and being unable to choose. your old pattern, your Primitive Gestalt, has a gravitational pull. This means, plain and simple, that initially it has control. It is the default position. Without a consistent plan to remember to be on The Path, you will automatically revert to the Primitive Gestalt path. If the field you are going through is a jungle with thickets all around except for this one path, unless you make a conscious choice, your feet will do the walking—down the existing and easy path. You’re in your old world!
So the challenge is REMEMBERING. Gurdjieff, an early 20th century mystic, referred to “remembering oneself.” This is where you are able to see what there is to see, while noticing that you are seeing. It is a state of being self-aware. Ordinarily when you are engaged in life, you lose your sense of “I.” For this reason, the next step is remembering to notice whether you are ON or OFF The Path—in other words, awaken to the moment for as many moments in your day as possible. Ideally, this can occur during important choice points. On a deeper level, this is a process of recognizing that you have choices in life. Typically it is a choice between your old, habitual behaviors and newer, intentional ones. In these moments of choice, of “Remembering” to notice, you can begin to observe how you are moving through your life. “On The Path” is the new pattern and “Off The Path” is the old. For example, the old pattern may be to say “No” to doing something because it would be uncomfortable or scary; in short, out of your comfort zone. But this old pattern keeps you stuck and unsatisfied. Instead, decide to say “Yes!”
Dr. Stephen Sideroff is an internationally recognized expert in resilience, optimal performance, addiction, neurofeedback and alternative approaches to stress and mental health. He is Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA’s School of Medicine, as well as the Director of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Ethics. www.drstephensideroff.com
