Hi @ugetfunded. It's an experiential truth. Meaning that one would have to experience this truth in order to fully know it but I will attempt to put it in words. The simple version of this comes down to the true creative force in one's life --- one's inner self-talking or dialogue. We all do it all day long, everyday. Actually doing it now.
This can be in auditory form (literally speaking to yourself or others in your head and hearing it in your head) like replaying an argument with one's significant other or friend after the argument has been had. Some people are more visual and see stuff in their mind and see it over and over. And some people are more into touch like feeling a friend hug them and say "congratulations on your new job" or get pushed by someone while hearing them screaming "get this crypto nonsense talk out of my face."
These inner conversations that we have with ourselves carry varying degrees of intensity, repetition and authority ( these are the three most effective ways to send an accepted message to your subconscious mind, which does all of the heavy lifting of creating and sustaining your being).
The other side to this "creation cycle" (for lack of better words) is that your mind doesn't just listen to the messages that you code into it, but it is also easily coded by "external" or third party entities like influential individuals like Jeff Berwick, Warren Buffet, Michael Jordan, The Pope, etc; institutions like government, church, and long standing traditions like institute of marriage; and any other third party idea, person or school of thought that you subscribe and Believe the ideas that they present to you about yourself (what you can/cannot achieve, deserve, etc); the world ("money is the root of all evil"); and other people ("people are so selfish and never want to help when you need them"). Now, there's nothing wrong or right about anything that I've said so far or anyone/thing I've mentioned so far. The issue at hand, and what Jeff is speaking to is this:
Because our minds are literally bombarded by thousands of different types of messaging from personal/family demands to social media, to advertisements on tv and billboards on the highway on one's drive home, and to radio -- our minds become too noisy and makes it very difficult for one to hear or notice the Unproductive imaginative activities that we participate in within our mind. And for some reason that's unknown to humanity (other than we know that it works) these self-generating and self-executing (I use the word 'self' because this is one thing in life one cannot blame or point the finger at another for doing) imaginative activities that we engage in within our minds advance into our future and faces us at an unknown but guaranteed time.
And when these mental activities catch up to us in the future, we blame/credit others or whoever was used as a part of manifesting one's own creation that one forgot about (because of passing of time) when it confronts them in the future.
From my experience after 8 plus years of daily meditating is that meditation does not make you some sort of enlightenment guru. I think that the enlightenment in the whole process is found in one being able to use meditation to slow down their mind enough to be able to gain more awareness or actually SEE one's imaginative activity (in the NOW -- where all creation happens) and then use that awareness to simply CHOOSE ('free-will') a different state of mind that's congruent with the kind of experiences or lifestyle that one wants out of life. And one will be pleasantly surprised to see that the Universe does not discriminate and will gladly hand one whatever experiences of life that one CHOOSES through their imaginative activity or one's feelings/moods (whether good, bad, or indifferent)...
Some people ask for proof or evidence of this and I tell them the same thing each time: Look at your current life right now. Is it consistent with most things you claim to want? They usually say "no but..." and I follow up with this question: "Can you please name one thing in existence that was not first imagined?"
And then I finish with this: Take 10 minutes to relax and try to take an honest inventory of one's most recent thoughts... especially the subtle ones dating back to 7 days ago and then take another inventory of your most recent experiences ... the direct correlation is all over that list ... if one is being honest to self.
For anyone wondering, a real world example of a subtle thought or shift in consciousness is this "Hmmm, I wonder how Jerry and his wife are making out with their new marriage..." And then (sometimes within a few minutes or hours or days) Jerry calls one to catch up with an old buddy and the two go on to discuss Jerry's newly wed life.
I hope this was helpful in shedding some light on the experience and if anyone else here has anything else to contribute, please do. As I stated in the beginning, it is an experiential truth. Meaning that one probably won't fully grasp it or be able to stand on it as firmly as I do, until you've undergone the process (with the help of meditation) and received one's own evidence of what I just attempted to speak on with words... Many blessings to you
You cover it beautifully, meditation has been a great addition to my life and I only wish I had learned to meditate at an early age instead of when I got old!
Thank you @fractalizer! Remember that 'old' is also a state of mind and meets us down the road! ;-) ... And it is NEVER too late to start meditating, very happy to hear you've committed to it ... Keep at it!
Thanks very much @ebothegrateful, I agree, never too late and I refer to numbers not state of mind, Lol!
You might be interested in my new book, a Gratitude Journal for daily recording of your gratitude.
Have you already created this book? If not, please do it today! .... Gratitude is literally a pot of gold for those willing to open it and take some wealth out of it and not feel dirty or like you're stealing because the Universe wants you to take as much from that pot as you can, hahaha! Please let me know if/when you release the Gratitude Journal :-)
Yes I have, just been getting some friends to give it a test drive to see what needs to be added or taken away. Interested in giving me a review before I put it online for sale?
I have used my artwork for the page textures too.
Great comment!
Thank you @igster .. Thanks for taking the time to read it!
Welcome change for the flood of comments that just feel like fishing for upvotes. Because of your comment I'll investigate this thing through.
And THAT decision you just made is the exact same reason why I invest the time and energy to write my comments. See I didn't come on Steem to get rich, as I am already financially prospered with or without Steem or blockchain technology. I've literally carried so many ideas, thoughts and experiences in my head for too many years -- not feeling comfortable enough on anyone platform to share it there... And then I found out about Steemit and the rest has been history. I was initially nervous that people here would think "talk too much" but it's been quite a pleasant surprise to see that this community not appreciates my passion for sharing in detail (so people can get the real juice in things) but it is highly recommended on Steemit. And I find that this is the biggest reason why I felt like I "fit in or belong" on Steemit. Please let me know if you come across any questions during your research. I'm always happy to contribute however I can.