Have you ever heard of mind assocation?
Probably not, but you should definitely get to know it because it’s been running your life for years!
Even though you have little idea what the phrase means, that doesn’t prevent it from being a constant in your life. In fact, in virtually all the thoughts and beliefs you have every single day, mind association is at work. At work and running the show.
What is mind association?
Well, to answer that before we move on, let me ask you a question.
What does money mean to you?
And there it is! In your response.
The Mind Associates, You Respond.
What was your answer to the question?
I could have added others such as what money is for and the biggee, on who it is for. But, that one question is usually enough. The second you heard the question, your mind association kicked in. The mind linked what you have been taught to believe about money or been influenced by your environment. And even the relationship you had with it when growing up all led to your mind associating a specific opinion, or certain beliefs and feelings, about it.
That could be (in the voice in your mind)…
‘Money makes people greedy, they become selfish and arrogant’.
‘I’m sure money isn’t for the likes of me, I will never have any in my life’.
‘Money is definitely all freedom and fun. It makes life more of a pleasure’.
And so on. The mind has associated x (money) with y (what it means) and put the two together to create a viewpoint in your head. Often a very fixed viewpoint you never waiver from. Try telling someone who has experienced damaging affects in family or relationships caused by money (fall outs, tightfistedness, debt from overspending) that money is a positive tool in life. Or another from a wealthy family that it’s a scarce resource.
These effects are hard to dislodge. Even harder is that until I showed you how it’s operating like this, you were completely unware of its presence in your life. You just believed what you believe. Or thought you did.
But that belief was mind association.
Unexplored Thinking.
We never question what we believe and why.
We simply take it as read and react accordingly. No enquiry, no self questioning.
If I told you that if you did you could free yourself from some of your long held problems, you might think again.
There are some very famous MA examples you’ve most likely heard of.
‘All men are a waste of time and can’t be trusted’.
‘Immigrants are usually criminals or here for an easy ride at our expense’.
‘I’m from a working class background, people like me are meant to just be the workers, not success stories’.
In most cases we are beaten before we are started. The end goal/positive outcome is never allowed to see the light of day due to mind association. When an important life area comes to mind (love, success. money, good place to live) the mind immediately fires a negative association as above and shuts the whole shebang right down, right there.
We accept that belief without ever thinking, ‘Hang on a minute, is that really true?’. Our thinking is never explored to seek out the source of those thoughts. One bad guy killed your chance for love but not all men are the same. After all some of your best friends have awesome husbands. The news only features bad immigrants but there are plenty around you who are great law abiding, tax paying citizens.
You get my drift.
Mind association is often a culprit not a good companion.
Time to Think Again.
It could be you need a rethink. Are you game?
If you are committed grab a piece of paper and a pen. We’re going to play the association game.
Write down some of the key areas of your life you are experiencing issues, especially long standing ones. Then simply scribble one or two words you associate with that situation. For example, a girl I was very close to had married young and was very scared at getting seriously involved again after a bitter divorce. Her nickname for me, someone she knew loved her? Pain!
For years in relation to money I would use the word ‘struggle’ (it became so). And on my own list next to ‘Home’ I wrote, ‘basic’ (I only owned a small apartment for 20 years).
Your turn. Be honest, don’t filter out answers. Take the first one/couple that you sense first. Be brave. Braver still ask a good friend or family member to write down some situations from your life (career, family etc) without your prior knowledge. It will be interesting what you associate with them in your answers with no prompts in advance.
It’s eye watering stuff I can tell you. It reveals so much of what is going on behind the scenes in you that’s blocking your happy path ahead. What the mind associates with, is what you experience. Or stop yourself from.
And you badly need to find out so you can get your best prospects back.
Because mind association is running, and quite possibly, ruining your life.
Photo attribution – free for use under the Pixabay Content License by nicolagiordano.
