DEFINING AND DISTINGUISHING DOING FROM BEING

This is a good time for assessment.  With the opportunity to acknowledge that how we act is not necessarily how we are.  Each of us maintains a standard for the public and private aspects of our lives.  We see ourselves primarily in a way that is acceptable to our consciousness and sensibilities.  We dress up any perceived imperfections and then present  ourselves  to others.  This is the foundation of the cosmetic industry.  Subconsciously they reinforce the idea that we are not quite good enough. Cosmetics are simply a mixture of chemical and coloring products used to enhance, disguise or hide the appearance and odors of our bodies.  The great metaphor of creation depicted in the bible illustrates this fact through Adam and Eve.  Their reaction to the knowledge of their nakedness was to cover or dress it up.  Makeup and beauty products are exactly what they say they are.  These products remind us and reinforce the notion that our real and raw appearance are inadequate representations.  What we think in our minds is always projected and manifested in the physical/tangible realm of our existence.  We are taught and then learn by practicing a set of ideals which we consequently incorporate into our lifestyle.  Whenever we find ourselves falling short of what we believe should be our state or position in life, we should reconsider our perspective regarding those beliefs and practices.  This paradigm shift must take into account not only what we see but also the way we see it.  Without consistent course corrections, criticism, and an occasional crisis our personal weaknesses, faults and vulnerabilities can corrupt our own thought processes.  Mistakes are the best tools to use to examine, review and re-access thought.  This speaks to the importance of having someone else enrolled in our lives primarily as a mentor who can objectively and impartially influence our thinking and behavior.

Commercials and advertising take advantage of our individual insecurities and collectively market us.  We are led to believe that their products, procedures or processes will allow us to achieve the dreams or goals they present to us. They begin by painting and placing a picture in front of us that we think represents success.  They then subliminally persuade us to place ourselves within that picture.  Like disciples, we subconsciously attempt to follow their lead and gradually conform our thinking in line with theirs.  Generally it's an awkward fit but it does not prevent clever marketing like trying to sell fat people skinny jeans.  Dividing and conquering is the traditional methodology for victory in any warfare.  People with straight hair desire more curly hair.  People with curly, knotted or kinky hair desire their hair to be straighter.  Fat people want to be skinny.  Skinny people want to be fatter.  Light people want to be darker.  Darker people want to be lighter.  The list goes on.  There is an old poem I learned years ago, read it aloud and pause after each line.

AS A RULE.
MAN'S A FOOL.
WHEN IT'S HOT HE WANTS IT COOL.
WHEN IT'S COOL HE WANTS IT HOT.
ALWAYS WANTING WHAT IS NOT!

How did we get this way?  How can we adjust our thinking to compensate for the errors in our judgement?  The answers lie within the title and writings of this article.  We must make a distinction between DOING & BEING in light of CHANGING & TRANSFORMING.  Although change can be instantaneous; transforming and transitioning is a lifelong process.

Modeling behavior, a psychological terminology, covers a wide range of responsive conduct we see in both humans and animals.  As human beings we have a natural tendency to mimic and imitate one another.  The desire to do or be what we see is personified in the biblical principle illustrated within the tenth commandment which says,  "Thou shalt not covet."  Unlike the other nine commandments which focus on outward actions this concept embodies thought and desires.  There is infinite wisdom within the order of the Ten Commandments. They begin with addressing our relationship with God in our actions regarding the things we do, thou shalt or shalt not.  They continue by addressing the relationships with our neighbor regarding the things we do with or to them, thou shalt or shalt not. The Tenth Commandment addresses how we should think and be.  Coveting like all sin begins in the mind.  Even if we have difficulty controlling our thoughts; our actions and behaviors have been addressed within the first nine commandments.  True transformation involves a minimum of four steps.  The first step is exposure to the information, that is whatever we do to acquire it.  The second step is understanding what has enlightened us, that is the processing we do to apply it.  The third step is personally practicing the principle, that is the direct steps we do acting it out.  The forth step is demonstrating or the embodiment of the principle in our everyday lives, that is becoming it ( THIS IS THE "I AM").  Our desire alone is enough to attract and gain exposure to a concept.  Our Intellect enables us to grasp the significance of what we've acquired.  But the first two steps only get us half way there. Our initial Invigoration from new knowledge can only carry us so far.  As in the parable of the sower, the seed may be planted but its taking root is another matter.  Our challenge occurs in regards to the application of the information.  Unfortunately, we initially tend to apply most of the lessons we learn outwardly to others. That means we focus externally rather then internally. It is easy to observe the manifestation of any principle from our "perched position" and point of view.  After all who can see their own eyeball?  We generally see life "through looking out" of magnifying glasses and telescopes, rather then self reflection through mirrors.  Generally speaking we perceive things in ways that coincide with our logical rationalization. That is to say that we see what we want to see. This may be regarded as a subconscious protective mechanism that allows us to reconcile or at minimum deal with things we don't understand or can't control. 

Once we learn which things are truly open to our volitional control and which things are not, life is less problematic. We do not control principles. Principles work through us. There are always  principle(s) acting out within our lives whether we acknowledge them or not.  Before being something we are not we must do something we've never done before.  We are human beings.  There is nothing we can do about it.  To be more then what we presently are, a transformation must take place in our thinking and actions.  Just as we are what we eat, so we are as we think. The simple distinction between doing and being is that doing requires effort and being comes as a result of existence.  The demonstration we seek will evidence itself when our transformation progresses to a state or stage that produces it effortlessly.  Have a happy and trans-formative NEW YEAR.