If we could peel back the layers of our humanity we would discover there are two sides to our personality. One side moves us forward while the other side holds us back. The side moving us forward is aware, lives in the present moment, makes conscious choices and is connected to a mindset that benefits everyone. The side holding us back is judgemental and works in conjunction with the chatter in our head. This chatter collects the evidence as to what’s wrong with us and the world, in the hope that we will react, in a self-serving way.

This judgmental creation is a byproduct of us having a highly creative brain that has created, without our knowledge or permission an image of who our brain thinks we are, that speaks to us through the chatter in our head. Sigmund Freud, the father of modern day psychiatry called this image the ego, which is Latin for “I.” The ego has four basic needs; its image (how it wants to be seen); bring right, having control and not being accountable.

Bullies exhibit all four qualities, but how does this belief that we are “less-than-whole” evolve? Much of what we believe originates from within the home. As children, we unknowingly adopt our parent’s values. For example, when parents bully their children by saying they’re stupid or don’t have what it takes; there is a likelihood, if heard enough, that the chatter in a child’s head will transform their parent’s comments into a belief about who they are and how to treat others.

Bullies celebrate power and want to feel complete, and yet fail to understand that we are born complete and have the power of the universe available to us, which raises a question. 

How do we reach out to those who may be at risk; there is only one way; through EDUCATION? To learn more about “what moves us forward and what holds us back,” click on this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29SSuVwc78M

For example, in their January 24, 2012 editorial, the San Jose Mercury News attacked Romney, “Romney needs to reveal more of his finances.” In spite of Mitt Romney submitting his 2010 1040’s and an estimate for 2011, he was attacked for not submitting returns that go beyond 2010, “Romney should produce tax returns for at least 10 years, as President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have done.”

This article went on to paint Romney as insensitive and incapable of knowing how people feel when they get a pick slip by saying, “Here’s what voters learned on Tuesday. Romney and his wife Ann, made $21.6 million in 2010. This is the candidate who implies he knows how people feel when they get pink slips. Oh, come on.”

The Mercury News continued their attack by saying, “Romney and Gingrich advocate tax plans that would make them wealthier at the expense of the average worker.” Oh really, how so?

The paper concluded their “let’s make Romney wrong” editorial by adding, “Two years aren’t going to cut it. If Mitt Romney wants voters to trust him, he’s got to come clean.”

“Come clean!” What law did he break? And if this was not enough, the paper attempts to make the electorate wrong as well by implying that “anyone voting for a presidential candidate who only submits two years of tax returns; is voting for the wrong person.”

Given our intelligence, where does this idea of making others wrong come from? It originates from the negative side our personality, a creation of our brain that is dedicated to its image, being right, having control and not being accountable.

To learn more about what is really going behind our cerebral curtain, check out my article, “The Emergence of “The Self,” No Wonder We’re Confused,” by clicking on this link; http://coachmerich.com/the-emergence-of-the-self-no-wonder-were-confused/

Looking back it’s easy to understand, and yet hard to fathom, why I had no interest in school. I enjoyed science and nature, and yet, could care less about sitting in a classroom. My uninvolved parents may have had something to do with me not having an interest in school.

We never talked about education, current events or anything else for that matter. My father’s, “I don’t want to get involved attitude” was everywhere. Even at the dinner table, he would shut down the conversation by saying, “Don’t talk; just eat.”    

Over time this created something larger within me that went beyond not having encouragement or mentoring; I had no clue as to what my talents were or what I wanted to do.

I believe having passion and purpose impacts our motivation to expand our knowledge and experience. I also believe, as in my case, there is a correlation between students that are doing poorly and those who are feeling lost. Recently, while speaking to a teacher that taught “advanced elementary education,” she said, “If you don’t develop a child’s habits and attitude early-on, when they get to be 9-10-11 the educational process can be problematic, if the student has not learned to value education.”

In “The Silent Epidemic,” a research paper sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, boredom was one of the primary reasons why students dropped out of high school, but here’s the good news. We have the power to bring a student’s attention back into the classroom if we can demonstrate, with enthusiasm and caring, what’s in it for them. We all want to be valued, but more important is that we value what’s in our own heart.

In 1945, a parchment was discovered in Egypt that was buried for thousands of years. Contained within this ancient text was a quote, detailing the importance of embracing what you love.  

“If you bring out what is within you, what you bring out will save you. If you do not bring out what is within you, what you do not bring out will destroy you.”

Click on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29SSuVwc78M to learn about a strategy that will assist in “bringing-out,” what is within you?

1)      Have cognition i.e. are able to understand, accept and are willing to engage the condition.

2)      Have an effective workout strategy that’s easy to apply.

Fulfilling the above requires a different kind of education. For example, we need to be aware that the symptoms of a mental condition are delivered through the chatter in our head and that obtaining an effective workout strategy may be as simple as watching this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29SSuVwc78M

For example, if we’re angry or depressed we need to be aware that the ”destination” is having a state of mind that enables us to move forward. The route is one of non-judgement, for it’s impossible to have a negative state of mind without first being judgemental.

“The Class Compass” acts like a mental GPS that enables us to transition, from one state of mind to another. To see it in action click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29SSuVwc78M

The side moving us forward is aware, lives in the present moment, makes conscious choices and is connected.

The side holding us back is a creation of the brain that is judgemental and works in conjunction with the chatter in our head. This chatter is constantly searching reality for the evidence, (things we don’t like or agree with) in order to prove what’s wrong life, in the hope that we will react. And react we do, with negative thoughts and emotions that hold us back.

Knowledge doesn’t change behavior, but it sets up the pins so we can. The question no longer is, “How does our psyche work!” But rather, “Are we willing to take responsibility for the way our psyche works!” To learn more about what moves us forward and hold us back, click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29SSuVwc78M

However, time does not interact with everyone in the same manner. For some, the future is exciting and challenging, for others, it’s scary, because the chatter in their head has declared that the future has nothing for them. For some, re-visiting the past is fun and informative. For others, the past offers the pain of regret. And then you have those who are aware of the power of the present moment.

So how do we keep from being a victim of time? By understanding the unique relationship that time has with the chatter in our head, which is this. The present moment and our chatter cannot occupy the same place in time.

This means our perception of time can be used to manipulate the chatter in our head, which holds us back.

Just think, if Adam and Eve had the answer to that question, they would still be in the Garden of Eden. But here’s the good news, the opportunity to return to the garden is still there. This line from the Old Testament points the way and appears at the end of the story of Adam and Eve. “God placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherub and flaming sword, which turned every way, to keep the way to the tree of life.”

The cherub and flaming sword were placed at the east end, because this is the direction from which the sun rises. Light symbolizes awareness. The “tree of life” is that God given state of mind that shares common ground with the universe. Cherubs are winged creatures with a human head, such as angels, that denote a holy place. The purpose of the flaming sword is to cut down that part of our personality that is responsible for Adam and Eve getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden.

Adam and Eve knew what was needed to return to the garden, but took no action, which shows that knowledge does not change behavior.

The true-self is a product of our universe that is constantly expanding. When we examine our surroundings we notice a world that is always creating, changing and in order.        

The false-self is a creation of the brain that holds us back and is concerned about its image, being right, having control and not being accountable. Mental conditions that hold us back; employ one or more of these qualities.

Our state of mind is the sum of (t minus f). When the energy of the true-self is greater than the false-self our creativity expands; we celebrate change and are conscious that there is an order to life.

When the energy of the false-self is greater than the true-self, our creativity dims, we’re skeptical of change and believe that order is fomented through the chatter in our head.

To learn more about a tool that will enable you to shift from the negative to the positive, click on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29SSuVwc78M

From the time Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, what’s changed about us? We’re still listening to the serpent, eating the wrong psychological food and hiding, when asked to explain our behavior.

There has to be a reason why humanity can be so extraordinary on one hand, and on the other, having to entertain negative states of mind that take us in the wrong direction?” Could it be that we’re looking through the wrong lense and that our personality is not singular, linear or one dimensional, but rather an extension of a dualistic universe that is made up of positive and negative energy, which is why we can be up, down, glad, sad, rich or poor. To learn more about the factors that move us forward and hold us back, click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29SSuVwc78M