The Spiritual Self Schema (3-S) Development Program

Phase 2c. Clearing the Path
Now that you know exactly where you want to go and how you want to
get there moment-by-moment, and you have the blueprint, building
materials, skills and tools you will need to prepare the site. This entails
clearing away any debris, and making the surface suitable for
construction of your Path. Imagine you are trying to build a road
through an area that is dense with brush, rapidly spreading vines, and
weeds. Unless you prepare your site extremely carefully, your road will
soon become so overgrown once again that it cannot be accessed.
Similarly, unless you prepare your mind for your new Spiritual selfschema,
your old self schemas will quickly take over once again.
Intention and effort alone are insufficient. You will now need to use
your skills of mindfulness and concentration.
Mindfulness: Regaining control over the Path you take
habitually.
Without your conscious awareness, the incessant chatter of your
ongoing thoughts can quickly create a detour leading back to your
habitual self-schema. Remember, it is into this undisciplined,
untamed, cognitive setting that you are attempting to construct your
new Spiritual self-schema. It is therefore essential that you prepare
and discipline your mind in readiness for your new Path.
Rehearse (practice). The first step in disciplining your mind is
to increase your awareness of the chatter -- the bundles of seemingly
inconsequential thought snippets that float in and out of our conscious
awareness. Try to spend just one day keeping this chatter in the
foreground of your consciousness rather than in the background.
Become aware of the complex cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
network in which these thought snippets are activated. Become aware
also of the links in this network both within and between your
thoughts, perceptions, convictions, intentions, emotions, sensations, and
actions. Notice how just a fleeting thought can lead to a replay of past
47