New 10 Commandments – In the Old Testament, God gave Moses and the Israelites “Ten Commandments” to help them live their best lives in relationship with God and each other. Our culture has pretty much ignored the literal applications of these Commandments to justify genocide (indigenous cultures and people), rioting and looting (class warfare), lie (politics in general), abortions (the mother’s life is more important). If the purpose of these Commandments was truly to help us live our lives to the fullest, they seriously need a makeover.
Here are my recommendations:
(1) Free your heart of hate:
Hate is one of the most destructive emotions in our emotional repertoire. It invariably leads to violence towards and polarization of those we don’t like. We witnessed two years of hate-filled rioting during the Covid years, which have destroyed relationships, cities, and property. By letting go of hatred, we free our psyches to imagine and create a better society. The truth is if we hate others, we hate ourselves.
We can only project what we harbor inside. If we did not hate ourselves, we would not hate others. We are witnessing an overwhelming epidemic of hate in our society. We hate anyone and anything that threatens us. It is like a cancer in our emotional body that consumes our lives. The resulting violence that invariably follows harms everyone, including us. If we could let go of the hate, we can find understanding. Civilization was built on understanding, communication, compromise, and connection. Hate destroys all of that.
(2) Free your mind of fear:
Fear is one of our basic negative human emotions. It triggers our sympathetic nervous system and releases adrenalin and cortisol into our bodies which makes us stronger and faster but is very toxic to us over the long term. When we trigger our sympathetic nervous system, we shut down our frontal lobe and make bad decisions.
Some other negative effects of fear on the body are:
- Immune system dysfunction
- Endocrine system dysfunction
- Autonomic nervous system alterations
- Sleep/wake cycle disruption
- Eating disorders
- Alterations in hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis
There are some simple techniques to release fear:
- Smile
- Breathe deeply and regularly
- Take an ice-cold shower
- Eye movement (look to the right for 60 seconds, then to the left for 60 seconds. Repeat until you relax)
- Sing, hum, or chant.
Do not let fear control your life.
(3) Free your body of toxins:
Freeing our bodies of toxins requires discipline and knowledge. We must educate ourselves about what is toxic and how to remove it from our bodies. Personally, I have gone on a raw, plant-based vegan food plan to try to heal a leaky gut, heavy metal buildup, enzyme deficiency and chronic pain. It is time-consuming but necessary for my well-being. To operate at optimum efficiency, we must be mindful of what we are consuming and being exposed to. To live our best life, we must pay attention to our physical well-being.
(4) Free your mouth of criticism:
We are hard-wired to connect with others. Isolation is horribly destructive to our psyche. Criticism destroys any relationship, pushes people away, and is self-destructive. Since all perception is projection, our criticism of others is self-criticism. When we make suggestions about anyone’s appearance or behavior, we must first make sure that we are doing it with positive motivation, not out of anger or fear. We must be compassionate and put ourselves in the shoes of others. If it is not helpful, don’t share it.
(5) Free your soul of doubt:
One of the key components of success is confidence. We must believe in ourselves and our behavior to accomplish our goals. Doubt is uncertainty or the lack of belief in the desired outcome. When we doubt, we second-guess, we hesitate or procrastinate. To live our best lives, we must believe what we do is worthwhile. Doubt projects fear into the future. We are a result-oriented society; the ends justify the means. We must change that to be a behavior-oriented society and make the means justify the ends, i.e., just do the best you can and accept the results.
(6) Fill your heart with gratitude:
I believe that gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions we experience. It will absolutely heal and release any negative emotions, including fear, anger, greed, hate and grief. Gratitude transforms our perspective into fulfillment and satisfaction. The APA defines gratitude as a sense of happiness and thankfulness because of a fortunate happenstance. It can also be a trait, as in when people are generally grateful. It is easy to be grateful when we get what we want; to live our life fully, we must be grateful for everything, whether we want it or not. One of the most powerful prayers is “Thank you.”
(7) Fill your mind with kindness:
Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. When we are kind, we give grace. We are kind when we think before we speak, we forgive before we criticize, and we foster healthy relationships. It is difficult to be kind if we are self-critical. With kindness, we can heal wounds, be inclusive and foster peace.
(8) Fill your body with nature:
We are in nature, not above it. We must spend time outdoors, walk barefoot, and be awed by the beautiful world we live in. If we reconnect with nature, we are more likely not to pollute it. We can reverse the pollution and toxification of our planet if we connect with it. When we are in nature, we get a sense that there is more to life than just us; there is a bigger picture.
(9) Fill your mouth with compliments:
When we look for the positives in people and events, we can praise them on what they did correctly.
There are many benefits to a positive attitude:
- Better coping skills
- Reduce depression
- Stronger immune system
- Less risk of coronary disease
- Lower blood pressure
- Better problem-solving skills
- Better creativity
- Better leadership skills.
(10) Fill your soul with love:
Love is an emotion that arises when we feel safe, either with a person or in general. It is a mixture of affection, compassion, kindness, responsibility, and grace. When we love ourselves, we can live in a state of grace. When we love others, we can live in a state of enlightenment.
Connect with James Gray Robinson: http://www.jamesgrayrobinson.com
More articles from our VIP Executive Contributor, James Gray Robinson.