270 LAUGHING AT THE TRUTH & A SIMPLE PLAN FOR INTERNAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Riddle:
How do I know that trying to deflect denial, on my own
Is as futile as trying to swim through a tsunami or turn it around?
Been there.  Done that. Until my ego drowned.

Riddle:
How is my ego like a cat?
It's had at least nine lives.
Drown
Resurrect
Drown
Resurrect
Hmmm—good to know that in Salem I'd not have been declared a witch!

Riddle:
When cleansing the closets of my mind, what must develop
Before solid layers of confusion, angst and fear of pain
Soften enough to slough off?
The Four Pillars of Strength.

Riddle:
How does the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary define slough (to sluff off) ?
To separate top layers of dead tissue from living tissue

Riddle:
Can you name The Four Pillars of Strength?
Gottcha!

Riddle:
What's the difference between believing in principles
And living up to principles under fire?
Talking the talk or walking the walk.

So, fess up
Did you name The Four Pillars of Strength?
Or are they stored in the closet of your mind
As they are in mine?
No worries if you can't retrieve them, right now
On the other hand
What good are they in storage
If you can't find find them under fire?
Preaching priciples is common
Living up to your own high principles, under fire, is rare.

Riddle:
If others can see what we're in denial of why can't we?
Experience buries different fears deep inside each mind.

Riddle:
If denial blinds me to myself
How can I recognize subconscious fears that darken my mind?
Humble myself by placing my ego in time out
Seek out positively focused, and thus, supportive help
Consciously work at opening my eyes, ears, and mind by reconsidering my beliefs
Tunnel until subconscious fears and stubborn beliefs emerge and clarity is mine

Riddle:

If we want to recognize where we're in denial, then why can't we?

Our egos are programmed to blind us to certain beliefs, fears and faults
Our egos hitch rides wherever we go
The intelligent side of the brain must consciously place the ego in time out
Before denial is exposed
We have no clue how often the ego influences thought patterns
Which shape our  perceptions
We have no clue how often our egos assume control over our minds
For example:
When in denial, I believe myself empowered
To harmonize the perceptions of every player on the team
Then my intelligence kicks in, and I accept the futility of this particular rescue mission, again
Ahhh!  I feel something stirring deep inside my mind ...  Here it comes!
Another insight is emerging, at last!
Hopefully this Aha! moment will lighten my spirit
And free my mind to move my story along:

Just as I was unable to turn the tides of fate when I was three
I've not been empowered to turn the tides of fate for these past ten years!
Being an instructor of family communications does not empower me
To douse the fires of this particular conflict
Which has been burning for for so long, because ...
Dousing a fire of this magnitude requires teamwork from all sides
Therefore, tis high time that the intelligent side of my brain
Sets my self confidence aside in order that
The spongy side of my brain can soak up these facts:
This rescue mission has been founded in love rather than common sense
Rather than mourning my inability to resolve this particular conflict
My intelligence must redirect its focus toward resolving the inner conflict
That tires my mind and exhausts my energy source, time and again
As to what had misdirected me to believe my rescue mission on target?  Well—
Love is like that ... blinding, you know ... and
This combination of love and self confidence tends to push my intelligence
Away from the shore line where common sense has waited patiently
To wrap me within its safe haven of peace of mind
You see, each time a tsunami has overwhelmed my state of well being
My confidence in skillful communications
Has caused me to ignore many objective supporters on shore
Who keep yelling that this tsunami is about to suck my spirit under, again—
Unfortunately, once my mind has swum this far into denial
I can't see or hear anything but my successful history
On the other hand, today, I've finally hit upon this next train of thought
Which, hopefully, will enable me to redirect my course
When an overwhelming inner conflict threatens to throttle my mind again:
I must reconsider which part of my belief system may be messing with my mind
This means I'll consciously reconsider the golden rules that comprise my belief system
And hopefully in this manner, my intelligence will leash my ego
Thus detouring my self confidence from diving directly into a tsunami's undertow, again

In short, here is what this overwhelming experience has taught me to change, today:

Whenever a goal, essential to my peace of mind, escapes me, over long
I'll question which part of my belief may be in need of retuning

Then, if I feel the need to seek out positively focused, supportive help

My intelligence will allow my mind to work as a whole
And in order to open my eyes, ears, and mind to what I am empowered to change
I'll create a simple...
TWO-STEP INTERNAL-CONFLICT RESOLUTION PLAN
Step one:
When conflicting files fly open simultaneously—
Thus maximizing confusion inside my head—
Shall I do this or that?
I'll minimize internal conflict by setting my compass at neutral
This will offer me time to consider which side of the mixed message
May offer me a greater sense of peace at this particular time
(Speak my piece or maintain surface peace by holding my tongue—for now)
Step two:
Upon resetting my mind to neutral, I'll clarify which shoreline to swim toward:
The shoreline where others ask for help in hopes of recovering from blindness
Or the shoreline where my blind spots await recognition from me
What I will not do is continue to dog paddle round and round
In the deep end in rescue of those so far into the undertow of denial
That they can't see the wisdom of swimming toward one shoreline or the other
Any more than I did—until today.
And that train of thought leads me to highlight two final insights for today:

Each time I work at resolving an inner conflict (shall I do this or that?)

My mind vacillates back and forth until I think to figure out
Which part of my belief system may be out of wack with reality

Once my belief system and reality are on the same track, clarity and peace of mind are mine
(Until something flies in from out of the blue; another conflict arises within;
and like it or not—that's life, folks!)