The Driving Force of our Behavior – the Subconscious

Our subconscious is activated daily mostly without thinking about it.  The responses become our automatic pilot mode.  It’s how we put something off or what we reach for in the pantry or who we are attracted to. And there are strong emotional associations connected with these responses.  Perhaps we gain satisfaction by doing something last minute, maybe we were once denied the foods we now choose, or we are attracted to a type who most resembles the behavior of a parent; a parent who never gave us the love we needed. There are reasons for our behavior and they are driven by our experiences, adaptability, and survival. 

As a child, there was a direct correlation for why we did what we did.  We had to hide, we had to seek attention, we had to protect a loved one, etc.  Whatever the reasons, these behaviors were directly linked to our survival (at least in our minds). Now that that period is over and we are adults, we continue to make decisions for ourselves which are still based on that past behavior. Why is that?  Because our subconscious can not adapt so quickly to our complex lives.  We place a child’s survival blueprint in dry ink onto an adult, work-in-progress life that constantly changes.  The formula no longer works.  The subconscious gets stuck in this past behavior and replicates it over-and-over again without taking into consideration that we are much older now, having new experiences, and that our old model of behavior is outdated.  And the outcome manifests into something awkward, a bad habit, or a negative characteristic. Try hard as we do, it becomes a fruitless task to alter this behavior (blame our subconscious design) and we become stuck. 

To unstuck our life’s script, we don’t need to do anything radical. We just need to be more conscientious in our approach, and apply a little more emphasis and effort into the space we would like to be in. Think hard before the automatic pilot kicks in.  Visually imagine the outcome you’d like with the behavior you want to change and put it into action. Also notice red flags sooner to avoid that undesirable outcome. 

Conversely, if you want to accentuate a positive trait because it makes you feel good, practice it daily. Make it part of your mantra.  Turn this characteristic into a life’s skill or hobby. This development is about self-discovery. Pretty soon it will become a positive pilar in your life that you can lean on in times of need. 

We can expand beyond our limiting beliefs if we realize they no longer serve us.  Identify what you would like to change and become the catalyst for that change. Only you can put it into good action, and your life is too important to leave to chance.  A potential new action formula - keep it simple.  Recognize the autonomous behaviors that get you into trouble. Alter that behavior. Experience what happens. If you like the result, do it again.  You are now changing your learned behavior.