Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Today we're diving into the stories that we tell ourselves in our head that have profound effects on how we feel and how we live our lives.
A paradigm is basically a story that we're telling ourselves. It's a way of seeing the world.
And we all have these different paradigms, these different belief systems and stories that are going on at the back of our head.
And we live our lives through those stories.
Some of those stories are false stories.
And a false story or a faulty story will lead to pain and sorrow in our lives. It's going to lead to a dysfunctional life, a true story or upgraded paradigm. A new way of seeing things will lead to a different reality, a different experience of life.
And most of the time we don't even know we have these stories going on in the back of our head. We're not even aware of them because we pick them up through our society, through our culture.
So we're diving into what these paradigms, what these stories are, how they affect us, and what we can do to create a truly revolutionary shift in consciousness.
Welcome, Sister Shireen. What a blessing. This is a great topic.
[00:01:19] Speaker B: Thank you, Brother Michael. Thank you for being here.
[00:01:24] Speaker A: It's a pleasure, always. Pleasure. So this is a very deep thing. I mean, something I've thought about a lot is stories, the stories we tell ourselves. For example, if I think I'll only be happy once I finish all of these things, that's a, that's a way of living, it's a way of a paradigm shift. I'll only be happy once I've got a certain amount of money.
People can't be trusted as a story I'm telling myself. So there's endless versions of these different paradigms and stories.
What do you feel is the, the most important thing to understand in this, this whole area?
[00:02:04] Speaker B: I feel a story could have served us at some point, right? Just me, served me.
But I'm carrying that story into the present and it might not be serving me now.
[00:02:21] Speaker A: Like what? For example,
[00:02:27] Speaker B: Let's say when I was sick, right, when I had cancer or any other illness, I had to really take care of my health and I had to rest and I had to do that. And I had to do, you know, spend inordinate amount of times on my health, right?
And I knew that that was the only way that I would get better.
I don't need to do that now.
It doesn't have to be, you know, it doesn't have to be a full time job of taking care of my health that I can do other Things, I can go places, I can do other things. But if I keep carrying that story, if I keep carrying that fear, oh, what if I get it again and then get so absorbed in myself and this and that, that I'm carrying an old story into the present?
And that's not going to serve me now.
[00:03:27] Speaker A: No, it's not good. It's not relevant anymore. It's not effective.
[00:03:31] Speaker B: Right.
You know, another, like a social story is a few years back, there was a young woman who came to the center and I was telling her she was a soul and she didn't like it. She said, no, I'm black, I'm a black woman.
And I said, why do you feel, you have to feel that you're a black woman?
Right. Why, why are you not accepting you're a soul? And she wouldn't accept. She started crying and she said, if I forget what happened to my people, then it can happen again and I need to get justice and I need to stick to this and all of that. Right.
And I tried to explain to her when the civil rights movement happened, which was more than 60 years ago, it was very, very necessary.
Everything that happened at that point because of racial injustice and everything was necessary.
But more than 60 years later, if I keep carrying that story into my present day life, then it just will weigh me down.
Right. There's no transcendence in that story, in that paradigm. And so there is a new paradigm.
And the new paradigm is that we, all of us have to strive for transcendence because the whole system, the whole, the whole world, the whole system is going down.
And if I want to survive this whole system in the whole world, then I can't hang on to these old stories that served me more than 60 years ago.
You know, we've upgraded our technology, we've upgraded everything. Why not upgrade our story to what is going to serve me right now?
[00:05:37] Speaker A: Yes. Interesting, interesting topic. And of course, lots of people have different opinions about all these different things, especially related to race and everything else.
But the, the real question is, is the story producing the positive outcome we're looking for that, that's, that's how we tell whether it's a good story. So if someone believes a story and that story goes into their psyche and their whole process and it makes them feel better and it produces better outputs, more happiness and joy and abundance for everyone, then that's great, that's a sign, that's a healthy story.
If it's causing chaos out the other end or making people miserable or holding them back in Limitation, making them feel fear or guilt, shame, stress, poverty.
It's not a good story anymore. It's a faulty story.
So I think for me, that's. That's how you can discern is what I'm thinking leading to transcendence and higher consciousness and wealth and abundance and highest control or not.
[00:06:47] Speaker B: You know, sometimes, Brother Michael, that the new paradigm can be a little uncomfortable in the beginning.
You know, when you think about the Matrix, right.
When they are in, I think it's Zion, it's not very comfortable when they're beyond the Matrix. Right. The eating gruel and, you know, very basic lives and stuff. Right.
And so sometimes what really is liberating initially is not very comfortable, but we shouldn't give up on it because it's not comfortable.
Sometimes even being in a comfort zone and being in an old story and getting stuck there could be comfortable, but it's really not for my highest good.
[00:07:46] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly.
It's about, does it in the end lead to the highest good or not?
[00:07:53] Speaker B: And I have been thinking about this, that every chapter of my life there was a story that served that chapter.
And I don't need to.
It served that chapter and it was fine.
But for the next chapter, I need something else.
[00:08:16] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:16] Speaker B: Stories are what got me.
[00:08:18] Speaker A: It's a vehicle that leads to an outcome.
So it got you a certain direction and then it ran out of steam. It stopped being helpful vehicle.
[00:08:29] Speaker B: The one image that always comes to me when we are thinking about these things is the image of the pole vaulter.
And Brother Anthony, he was one of our angels, really.
He would say this, that a pole vaulter, when he's going up to the pole, he needs that stick, the pole.
But once he goes over the wire, he has to let go of the pole. He cannot take the pole into the next part of his journey.
If he doesn't let go of the pole, he will not be able to go over.
And so many times the stories we are carrying don't serve every part of our life in the present.
We have to let it go to be able to go to the next stage.
[00:09:36] Speaker A: Yeah, it's true.
So what are these upgraded stories that you're referring to exactly?
[00:09:45] Speaker B: One upgraded story is I'm a soul. We are spiritual beings.
And the second part is we are visiting this planet. Don't need to take it so seriously. I don't need to take myself so seriously.
That's the second part.
The third part is everything I see is going to be transformed.
I mean, we can clearly see. No, that's what the world is heading to. It's not just my opinion, right? You also feel it.
[00:10:26] Speaker A: Most people feel it these days.
It's. So let's talk about what's the old story and the new story, right? Because you can't just jump to a new story.
There's a current story that's playing. So the, the current story is I'm this person, I'm this body, I'm this character. I'm. I don't think I'm a character. I think I'm this, this human being.
This is me, this is what I look like, this is what I am.
And my identity is based on what I, what I do, what I look like, my money, blah, blah, blah, blah, all the different things that kind of like represents who I am.
And you know, to some degree that works.
If you have certain levels of success and whatever else in life, then to some degree that's actually kind of working out.
But at a certain point it's very limiting and very stressful because all the things that we can feel good about can all shake, can all be taken away, isn't it? I can lose my health, I can lose my various things that I have. I can lose everything actually.
So if my well being is based on what I built up in my physical life, then I am just asking for trouble really. But at a certain point it's, I'm going to feel very disturbed because I'm gonna have relationship problems, money problems, people problems, health problem. I mean, everything's going to come at some point and that means my joy is going to be just.
It's gonna like melt away as soon as those things gone, blow it away. It's a piece like a castle of cards and it's just house of cards and down it goes, you just pull one out.
So it's, it's kind of good as long as nothing changes. But when we live in a world like we do now, where everything's changing all the time and nothing's really reliable, having a house of cards is not a good idea. It's not a good story.
So the upgraded story is I'm not this house of cards person based on all these things. I'm just a spiritual being watching, watching it all, enjoying it.
But. And I'm not from here either. This is a game, it's a wonderful game that I'm watching. And it doesn't matter that much actually. It's all going to end anyway because I mean, the fact is whether we, whether we believe in spiritual things or not, it's all changing it's all going to end. I mean, there's anyone who's a thousand years old.
I don't know anyone, you know, I'm sure. A thousand years old, 5,000 years old.
[00:13:02] Speaker B: No.
[00:13:03] Speaker A: So everyone's gonna die. So whether we like it or not, it's gonna happen. We might as well have an attitude of, oh, we're here on vacation on. As guests, you know, to enjoy the game, because then it's more fun. Then we can actually enjoy the process of being alive. Rather than thinking the whole point is to build up this big house of cards.
So it's a big deal. Actually, just make that shift from the whole point is to achieve, achieve, achieve. Especially in America. America's story is if you work hard, you can achieve amazing things. And if you achieve amazing things, then you'll be happy and respected and. And a lot of people have achieved a lot of stuff. There's loads of mansions in America. There's all kinds of success in America, and it's wonderful. Round of applause.
But there's more to life than that. And a lot of people who have those things are very stressed.
Most of my clients.
[00:14:03] Speaker B: I have to go on a tangent here, Michael. Yeah, I have to go on a tangent here. So there was a study done in New York. Did I tell you about this study?
About people who have more than $100 million good for them. And not a billion, but just.
[00:14:20] Speaker A: They're not even a billion. They probably feel a bit depressed, don't they? Because they don't have a billion yet.
[00:14:25] Speaker B: And each one of them said they don't have enough money.
[00:14:29] Speaker A: Well, because they're not billionaires, pretty much
[00:14:31] Speaker B: all of them said they don't have enough money.
[00:14:34] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, if you get a group of any. Any people who have any amount of money and say, who wants more money? All the hands will be raised.
[00:14:41] Speaker B: No, it's not. Who wants more money? To even feel that you don't have enough.
[00:14:46] Speaker A: I mean, 100 million is enough.
[00:14:47] Speaker B: What point is enough?
[00:14:48] Speaker A: Relatively easy?
[00:14:49] Speaker B: I mean, at what point is enough?
[00:14:51] Speaker A: I think maybe a billion is enough. I don't know.
[00:14:57] Speaker B: Billion isn't.
[00:14:58] Speaker A: I mean, maybe two.
[00:14:59] Speaker B: Maybe it's not enough.
[00:15:00] Speaker A: It might be not enough. No, exactly. It depends what you want to do with it, I suppose. Isn't it depends on your goals, but. But it goes to show, it never ends. Like, it's like, all right, I should travel. Business class. It's okay, fair enough. And then you say, well, business class is not as good as first class.
And then, well, first class still have to get in an airport. It's not as good as private jet, but then there's different kinds of private jets.
You know, it's. At what point are we ever going to be happy?
So, so there's all these stories, you know, I'm not going to be happy till I have a private jet. I'm still not happy.
I know I've made it when I got my private jet.
I mean, there's nothing wrong with a private jet, but there's endless ways of living, isn't there? So the paradigm shift we're talking about is everything's a game for the soul. We're here to play a part in a stage.
And whenever I think about that, I'm like, oh, that just feels so much more fun, you know, instead of it.
[00:16:06] Speaker B: It does feel so much more fun.
[00:16:07] Speaker A: No light, just playing in the, in the game.
And the actual act itself is the purpose. Otherwise. Otherwise the purpose is to achieve the end thing, you know?
So like, like if I'm working on something, I can either be thinking I need to finish this thing because it's so important because then I'll be happy afterwards, or I can think this is all a game and I'm just having fun doing this thing to do this thing.
But I don't feel that the end result is the only thing that matters.
I'm enjoying the act of being alive.
Ah, what a relief.
[00:16:50] Speaker B: Fabulous.
[00:16:51] Speaker A: What a relief.
[00:16:52] Speaker B: The, you know, the other thing I'm noticing about the story is opinions, right? Recently I was thinking about something, changing something, and I was thinking about opinions, people's opinions. So many people will have opinions on it.
Then I realized the people who are going to have opinions, none of us are going to really. Even if the world is not going anywhere, none of us are really going to survive for too long, right? I mean, at the most, I have what, another 40 years left in this body?
So people who have opinions will not be here.
People who are afraid of the opinions of other people will not be here.
There's only one thing that's going to be here is whatever spiritual effort I make.
Everything else is going to woof, go away.
[00:17:54] Speaker A: That's a story, isn't it? It's an upgraded story.
Only thing that you're left with is your spiritual state.
[00:18:06] Speaker B: And to remember that, to remember, right? Not be so caught up, not to overthink things.
[00:18:15] Speaker A: We need to start thinkers Anonymous.
[00:18:20] Speaker B: I've been doing a lot of work on my mind, right? I have so many exercises I've been doing with my mind to not for it not to think. And it's working.
[00:18:33] Speaker A: Praise the Lord. Look at that.
[00:18:34] Speaker B: I'm happy to report it's working.
It's more than even not thinking. It's like not thinking the wrong things and not having waste most.
[00:18:46] Speaker A: I was tuning into this, thinking about. Obviously thinking about not thinking. I mean, it sounds absurd really, but I was thinking about this because a friend of mine had this. It was her idea. She said she didn't have a thought until she was 16.
And I was like, how interesting. And there are people who don't think actually they have a different way of processing, but it's not the self talk that most of us are used to.
And I was thinking, like, most of what I think isn't necessary at all, you know, in terms of like waste thoughts. Almost everything could be removed from the mind.
[00:19:27] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:19:28] Speaker A: Like nearly all of it.
[00:19:29] Speaker B: That's called liberation in life.
[00:19:31] Speaker A: Nearly all of it could be right. So like one story is, I need to think this through enough so then it will be resolved.
That's a false story because we can think ourselves into madness. You know, it's not thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking.
[00:19:50] Speaker B: What I've noticed is the reason yeah. What I've noticed is the reason we think about these things is because of dopamine hits that come during the thinking process.
We'll do another episode on this. But it's very deep how the dopamine thinks kick off in the brain.
[00:20:13] Speaker A: Yeah, the brain gets a kick from being right.
[00:20:17] Speaker B: And it doesn't even have to be pleasurable. Right. It doesn't have to be pleasurable.
So let's say you come and tell me we're totally going off tangent, but just bear with me one minute.
So you come and say, shireen, you're a horrible person.
And I start thinking about it, right?
It doesn't even have to be pleasurable. That thought is not pleasurable. You calling me horrible is actually giving me sorrow. But there are slight dopamine things in there because there's variable reward scheduling going on even with the thoughts, right? At some point I'll find a little thing. At some point I will think, oh, I'm going to say this to him. And then I'll feel a little better.
At some point I will say, how dare he. Right. I'll keep going, going, going.
[00:21:09] Speaker A: Yeah, it's variable reward schedule. Yeah, it's a gambling slot machine, isn't it? The thoughts and then. And then it's based on, I'm better than someone else. How dare them. I'll get back at them.
I'm right, my opinion. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
So that.
[00:21:29] Speaker B: And not all of it is pleasurable, but every once in a while you'll get a pleasurable thought.
[00:21:34] Speaker A: Ah, there it is.
[00:21:35] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:21:36] Speaker A: I mean, doesn't even have to be like, for example, a news addiction. Right.
They've done studies on people who are addicted, like constantly checking all the news all day long.
And they need their news kick.
Like they're chemically addicted to bad news. Not because it doesn't make them feel good, but it makes. Gives them something that they're used to having chemically, that without it there's a withdrawal.
So it doesn't have to be pleasurable at all, actually. It can just be totally nasty all the way through. But if we get addicted to it because we're used to it, then that's what we want.
Like for example, eating really spicy chilies is definitely not good for us, really, is it? Let's be honest.
[00:22:26] Speaker B: But people, even though it's not good for us, it's tasty. Stop it. That's not a good example.
[00:22:31] Speaker A: No, no. But like, there's no.
[00:22:34] Speaker B: I couldn't eat like just a bland food. No, no, I'm not talking about very spicy.
[00:22:38] Speaker A: I'm talking about excess.
Right. Really extreme chilies. You know, it's not pleasurable at a certain point it's painful. Right. But there are some people, they'd have to have it at the highest level to feel that they've got the proper meal in.
So I'm saying it doesn't have to be something that is necessarily pleasurable to be.
[00:22:57] Speaker B: Actually that's quite pleasurable to them. It's a different thing.
I feel she's.
[00:23:04] Speaker A: Shereen refuses to have any, any criticism of chili's.
[00:23:08] Speaker B: I mean, I'm talking about, okay, the Scoville, a million Scoville, like, you know, the North Carolina Reaper or something. That's definitely not like.
But a regular chili actually makes it makes it.
[00:23:22] Speaker A: I. I'm not against chilies.
[00:23:24] Speaker B: Edible.
[00:23:24] Speaker A: I'm not against chilies.
[00:23:28] Speaker B: You sound like you're against chilies.
[00:23:30] Speaker A: My ghost chilies in ghost chili powder.
[00:23:33] Speaker B: Oh, by the way, I'm not able to do ghost chili anymore.
[00:23:36] Speaker A: Ah, so there we go. But what a shame.
So it's a new paradigm for you.
[00:23:42] Speaker B: It's been months or a year now.
Chilies too much.
[00:23:46] Speaker A: So what story have you told yourself then?
[00:23:50] Speaker B: It was a story that worked before. I like ghost chili. I would travel with my ghost chili and I would put it on everything and I really enjoyed it. And it was pleasurable but now my body can't accept it. I get acid pain and so acidity. So I have to be very careful. And the new story is it doesn't work for my body, so I'm okay with it.
[00:24:14] Speaker A: So there we go. You upgraded your story and now you have a better result because you could have had an old story.
I have to have my chili, and if I suffer, then that's just how it is, because I need my chili, which is another way of seeing it.
So.
[00:24:31] Speaker B: Right, yeah.
[00:24:32] Speaker A: So we have to ask ourselves again and again and again, what is the outcome of our story? Because our. Our current life, whatever we're experiencing with our health, wealth, happiness and everything else, relationships, is a consequence of our paradigm and our story.
It doesn't just appear out of nowhere.
So the story is a vehicle that affects our behavior.
The stories, our beliefs, our ideas about what we should and shouldn't be doing.
And we do things based on the story, and it has consequences, and we are living in those consequences now.
So if what we have today is exactly what we want and it's working for us, then it's a good story.
If we're not getting what we want and our life's a mess and we feel depressed and stressed out, we need to upgrade our story, because that's going to change our behavior.
They'll change the outcome.
So the main one that we hear in spiritual teaching is that your old story is you're a body and that you end up with all this stress and worries and, you know, blah, blah, blah, or huge amount of problems. The new story is you're not a body, you're a spiritual being, and you're only a spiritual being.
And you've come here for fun.
[00:25:54] Speaker B: Yes. Two things. No. I'm a guest in this body, and I'm a guest in this world.
It's a different story and it's so much fun. Right. Was it Etihad that says life's a lot more fun being a guest?
It's a lot more fun being a guest.
[00:26:10] Speaker A: It certainly is.
[00:26:14] Speaker B: So that's a new story. Right. The other story I was thinking, which is so important for now, is being a witness, like separating yourself from who you are as a person.
If I go around thinking, shireen, Shireen, Shireen, and the soul separates itself, and you see yourself separate from this person, Shirin, and you, the soul.
And that separation itself gives so much power to do this properly. Right.
The reason why I'm thinking of the separation is many times we are trying to improve. Shirin, you know Shirin could do this better. Shirin can do that better. And many people tell me how better I can do. And I'm thinking, okay, let me add it to the list of my 15 other things I need need to improve. I can go at it that way, or I could just see myself separate and just give lots of blessings to Shireen. So Shireen improves overall and not piece by piece.
[00:27:31] Speaker A: Sounds a lot more fun, a lot easier. Tell everyone else that you're just giving. We can all give Shireen blessings together and not worry about it too much.
[00:27:42] Speaker B: Right?
Don't tell me how much I need to improve. Right.
Should we. Will you lead us into an experience, Michael, or do you want me to do it?
[00:27:53] Speaker A: You can do it, actually.
[00:27:56] Speaker B: Okay.
So it works best if you pick a story that you're experiencing a little bit of sorrow right now, something that's stressing you out, something that's making you anxious. I want you to take that situation and remember that situation, And now see that situation, separate yourself from that situation and just see that situation separately.
And now you separate yourself from you a little bit and become this eternal soul. And you watch the character going through the situation.
And ask yourself this question.
What is the story? Am I telling myself that I'm experiencing this anxiety or stress or worry or attachment?
And let's change that. Let's change that to I'm an eternal soul.
I'm a pure soul.
I'm a peaceful soul.
I'm a guest in this world. I'm a traveler.
And that character and that situation is part of a big game.
[00:29:57] Speaker A: It.
[00:30:23] Speaker B: And I'm so much happier just being me, the eternal soul, the eternal traveler, and watching the game of life.
And just every second, even for a second, every few minutes, just detach yourself and see yourself being a guest in this world and being the eternal soul, the traveler.
Om shanti.
[00:31:16] Speaker A: Beautiful. Thank you.
So these are beautiful things to consider.
Take the time to recognize your old story that isn't working for you. If it's working, great, keep doing it.
If it's not, then consider a new story, something that will bring you joy. Like, I'm a spiritual being and this is a game, rather than, this is all so serious, and only if I get everything I want will I be happy.
Good luck with that one.
Because we live in an unpredictable world.
[00:31:58] Speaker B: All right? And also to understand that a story could work and it's necessary for a chapter of your life, but maybe the current chapter of your life doesn't need that story.
Right? You have to upgrade. You have to be the pole vaulter constantly in your life and keep letting go of the pole every time to transcend and to go to the next level.
And have faith. Trust that the next part of your journey with the new story is going to be even better.
[00:32:44] Speaker A: Ah, it's a wonderful game. Wonderful game.
So like with everything we share in these podcasts, just tune into it, see what works best for you.
And it's in continuous experiments of awakening.
Let's close with a blessing. What do we have here?
[00:33:09] Speaker B: This is God's blessing for you.
[00:33:11] Speaker A: Care.
[00:33:13] Speaker B: With grace, you navigate through life, enriching the lives of those around you with even the smallest acts of love.
Your spirit is a beacon in a dark world, shining light into the hearts of all you encounter.
[00:33:37] Speaker A: Beautiful.
So have fun uncovering and upgrading your story.
If you have any comments want to share about your old story new story? Feel free to leave a comment or a review.
And if you want thousands of dollars worth of free meditations, courses and trainings, go to spiritual recharge.com spiritualtravelers.org and sending you many, many blessings and talk to you next time.
Yay.
