2 spiritual books that changed our GM's life
Rod Macpherson, Affirmations General Manager, is passionate about the values that underpin our business: positivity, growth, sustainability and making a difference in how business operates. As a person who walks his talk, we asked him which spiritual books made a difference to the way he lives his life. Here are his comments:
Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Lightbulb moments happen more often with me these days but that first ah-ha moment came from reading the Power of Now written by Eckhart Tolle. This was during my forties as I struggled with depression and my battle understanding the meaning of life.
Not the easiest spiritual book to read but I have always had a thirst for knowledge, science and understanding of how humans and the universe interact. This book led me to more investigation into psychology and how the human mind interprets the flow of energy around us and turns it into our perception of reality.
In a nutshell, nothing happens outside the present moment. The rest is just our minds analysing and replaying an event or memory over and over.
Thoughts are always based on the past or the future. The present moment requires no thought, just interaction with what is in front of you right now. It sounds simple … and it is. My multiple reads of the Power of Now, and some other related texts, inspired me to write my own book on consciousness and belief systems "Conscious Leadership - Beyond Perception and Belief”.
I'm not sure I can simply explain the meaning of a book that I had to read more than 10 times over many years but hey … I will give it a crack.
The principles of quantum science and consciousness
- Thoughts and intention impact the physical realm at a quantum level (refer to Einstein research)
- Our reality is a perception of what we “think” or believe it is
- Everyone has a different perception of reality (which explains the mess on the planet right now)
- To be present in this moment is only possible without thinking
The lessons I have applied to my life from the above are:
- Take personal responsibility for your life
- Hold your beliefs lightly
- Understand that you alone create your own reality
Thoughts turn into things. Your life situation is purely a result of your thinking up until this moment. You can change your life by changing your thoughts.
Now that process is for another time.
“The pollution of the planet is only an outward reflection of an inner psychic pollution: millions of unconscious individuals not taking responsibility for their inner space.” Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton
Taking the concept of quantum science into the biology of the human body, this book reinforced and provided scientific evidence of how the human body can self heal .. and self-harm depending on your thoughts.
I already understood that consciousness and thought impact matter at a quantum level. I knew that at a quantum level all things, including living things, are made of energy. We are energetic beings experiencing a physical human experience. What this scientific but also spiritual book explained was how Western medicine ignores the science of quantum and treats illness at a physical level. In essence, we have a system that treats symptoms and not causes. There is a pill for that.
Of course, there is a massive business model supporting that mode of treatment which makes it extremely difficult to challenge it openly. There is no profit if everyone is self-healing. Similar to how fossil fuels and tobacco control the narrative in the face of undeniable evidence to the contrary.
Our thoughts impact our physical world
Bruce Lipton came from a traditional medical background until he experienced an energetic healing that lead him to explore the science of quantum. He reveals his scientific studies with human cells in the book showing how cells react to external stimuli .. thoughts.
Quantum scientific evidence shows us our thoughts impact our physical world. Our bodies are a part of the physical world. In practice, it is not possible to manifest something in the physical world if you don’t believe it exists. As in life, you get what you think about and you think about what you believe.
I have always believed in my own immune system being strong. I don’t get the flu and any illness I do get passes quickly and I can generally trace it back to experiencing some level of stress from an external event. Stress is how we respond to an external event and by that, I mean how we “think” and believe about an external event. A medical doctor will prescribe anti-depressants to deal with the symptoms when in fact dealing with our thoughts and staying present can be the long term solution.
I have self-healed a number of ailments that were recommended for surgery and I'm not that special. I just believe I can do it.
Hey, read the book.
“Positive thoughts are a biological mandate for a happy, healthy life. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi: Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.” Bruce H. Lipton, The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles
