let go – Pam Grout

Transcending the chatty asshat in your head

January 10, 2018 23 Comments

“We cannot create anew with the same ole, same ole, same ole.”—Sherrie Taylor-Jones

Larry King was interviewing some swami. He asked him about his mind, “How does it get so quiet in there?” The swami answered, “It IS quiet in there. That’s its natural state.”

Everything else (the incessant mental verbalizing) is just a crutch we non-Swami types use to buffer the world. The never-ending chatter narrates the world for us, slicing and dicing it to fit our personal story. Its purpose is to keep us distracted and disoriented.

Most of us are too close to the “roommate in our head” to be objective, to fully realize its overriding power over us.

As Lesson 10 of A Course in Miracles says: My thoughts do not mean anything.

After years of identifying with the thoughts in our head, it can be confrontational to hear that our “precious thoughts” mean nothing. To learn that they’re simply useless mental commotion that we devised to filter reality. It’s particularly shocking to hear our thoughts are not who we really are.

It doesn’t even matter if the thoughts are telling us nice things. Doesn’t matter if they’re spouting spiritual wisdom or telling us we should proceed immediately to our beds and pull the covers over our head. Either way, that voice is not us.

Just for kicks, stop for a second and make the voice in your head say, “John Jacob Jinkleheimer Smith.” Now, make it say it in a sultry voice.

See. It’s at your command. And it’s busy, night and day.

We mistakenly believe this ongoing sideline color commentary keeps us safe. But, as we come to learn in the Course, the non-stop vocalizing mechanism keeps us trapped. It keeps us from knowing who we really are.

So for today, take it from Larry King’s swami and start to observe the “roommate in your head.” Realize that chatty voice is not you. And know that true freedom comes the moment we decide to transcend it.

Pam Grout is the author of 19 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her new book, Art & Soul,Reloaded: A Year-Long Apprenticeship to Summon the Muses and Ignite Your Daring, Audacious, Creative Side.

“All bad things must come to an end.”—Ad for “Breaking Bad”

August 13, 2013 3 Comments

“Incredible things happen all the time when you buzz at the right level.” Overheard at Starbucks and shared by Eitan Tom Aitch

I’ve been thinking a lot about Hans Schultz. He is the fictional sergeant to Colonel Wilhelm Klink in the old TV series, Hogan’s Heroes.

Even though Schultz knew about the shenanigans of the Allied POW’s who were running Special Operations from Stalag 13, he was famous for proclaiming to his inept colonel, “I know nothing” in a clipped, German accent.

I repeat that line (complete with the accent) quite often. In fact, it has become an important piece of my spiritual practice.

I have learned that any time I think I’ve figured something out, any time I believe I’ve found the route to this intention or that dream, I promptly proceed to get in my own way.

My understanding is sorely limited. But when “I know nothing,” like Hans Schultz, I leave the gates wide open for blessings to rush in.

Last week, for example, I got an incredible response to my first post on The Daily Love. It’s a popular website run by Mastin Kipp, a young entrepreneur who recently appeared on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday as one of the Next Generation thought leaders.

I happened to catch that episode, looked him up and discovered that, lo and behold, he grew up in my hometown. I decided that I wanted to write for The Daily Love and I did everything I could think of to interest Mastin in my “brilliant wisdom.” I even wrote an article about him in the local Lawrence magazine. I mean, c’mon, we talked in person.

Those initial pitches? That initial scheme I came up with for getting on The Daily Love? Futile. Nada. Didn’t work.

However, when I let go of my plan, repeated the Hans Schultz “I know nothing” and forgot all about it (“Set it and forget it” is a new mantra of mine), Madeline Giles, the editor of The Daily Love or the Love Curator, as she’s known, contacted me.

Out of the blue, she wrote to me, said she liked my new book and wondered if I’d be up for contributing to The Daily Love.

So, Hans Schultz, thank you for proving that inspiration and important spiritual practices can come from anywhere.

Pam Grout is the author of 16 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality.

“Everybody is a magnet, attracting to themselves that which they are.” –David Hawkins

February 28, 2013 4 Comments

“Don’t worry. Be happy.”
–Bobby McFerrin

Okay, so you’ve made some goals, set some intentions. But, so far, nothing has shown up. Wanna know why?

You’re trying too hard. You’re trying to force things instead of just relaxing and connecting with the power and genius of the universe.

See this picture. It’s green bean seeds from Experiment No# 6 (The Superhero Principle) in my book, E-Squared.

The reader who sent me this picture made the intention that the back row of seeds would grow faster than the front row.

It worked like a charm, because she knew there was nothing she could personally do to make those green beans grow faster. Except be willing. She had to surrender and believe that her focus and attention was enough.

With most goals and intentions, the ones where there’s something we perceive we should do, we think surrender is not an option. We insist on trying to make our intentions happen. We use force, we manipulate. We get personally involved instead of letting go and letting the majesty of the universe do its glorious thing. The tactic of aggressiveness sometimes works, but it invariably employs “weak energy,” an energy that will always play second fiddle to the simple power of willingness.

Willingness brings openness and flexibility and new possibilities. It’s the prerequisite for changing anything in your life, the starting point for manifesting goodness.

I understand your desire to push, to go, go, go. It’s the cultural norm. We’ve all heard some version of these statements:

“You have to fight for what you want in this world.”

“You have to put your nose to the grindstone.”

“Nothing comes easy.”

“If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.”

But there is another way. And it’s simple willingness.

By cultivating a willing mind and being willing to approach things in a new way, you’ll come from a place of power. You’ll find an energy that unifies, that encourages wholeness.

Yes, this energy is invisible (making it a lot harder to trust for some folks), but, in reality, it’s more tangible and powerful than forcing and grunting and groaning will ever be.

To change your life for the better, you simply connect with the power of the universe and then step back and allow it all to unfold with ease and grace.

Pam Grout is the author of E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality.