For a bit of fun just imagine you are sitting down feeling a bit bored having sat through an evening of tedious TV. Suddenly you have a bit of a brainwave. You think why not write a story about your own life with the rather grand notion of making it into a TV movie?
“Surely it couldn’t be any worse than the rubbish I’ve just watched”, you might think.
You wake up with this rather ambitious idea still in your mind, and feeling enthusiastic you reason your story could be a winner, and, what’s more you’re smart enough to be the sole creator of everything to do with the project.
It will be your baby, your brainchild, your magnum opus and you intend to not only get it made, but to make it yourself. It helps that modesty was never your strongest point!
Imagine sitting at your desk contemplating this grand vision.
You’re all alone with your thoughts.
You are the scriptwriter.
You will film the epic using your own camera.
You intend to be the producer, director and star of the movie; after all, what Brad Pitt can do, surely you can at least attempt!
In truth such a task would obviously be way beyond the scope of most of us, to say nothing of whether our lives are fascinating enough to capture on celluloid.
But what if you possess a colossal ego, and unlimited ambition?
This seems very grand, but take a moment far away from this overblown scheme, and recognize that your state of your mind at any one time is engaged, in fact, is always actively engaged in a similar way to the idea of shooting a movie of yourself.
Why is this? Well, the thoughts you are experiencing at a given moment, whether large or small, is just a state of mind that you project outward upon a large screen you know as ‘the world’ as you personally see it.
In other words, you project your own unique personality, your thoughts, feelings and actions out to the world through your own movie reel, and all according to a script you have assembled inside your head.
Of course, the script could be rather muddled but there it in written inside your head.
Your particular model contains an assortment of thoughts, feelings, actions, beliefs, attitudes, values, wants, needs, passions and so on.
All of this is driven by your own unique mental landscape that captures your world. Those people and situations in it are purely a reflection, a mirror of your thoughts, ideas, emotions, fantasies, and desires.
What your mind chooses to project and receive becomes your perception, your view of reality. In any given moment it is a reflection that can extend and enhance or limit your vision for as long as you decide to hold on to it.
Now the brain is said to function as if it were divided into two parts. It seems to be split between how the left-brain processes, and the almost opposite way the right brain gets stimulated and activated.
In other words, it is physiologically divided between the neo-cortex, the new brain, and another brain that is biologically much older. So, the brain, your mind, functions according to specific evolutionary criteria.
This means you have the complexity of the logical, articulate neo-cortex with its ability to reason, and the emotionally charged old brain, both orchestrated in part by your values, beliefs and thoughts.
Some of these beliefs are irrational. They were formed long ago, and are saturated with emotion.
It’s almost like a dance of the mind, a contest of a propped up ego versus a somewhat brittle identity.
Of course, as the director of the movie you will have to determine how your character, and how other people in the film will deal with several challenges including conflicted and sensitive issues.
Given you have the starring role, your beliefs will dominate the action when the camera starts to roll. These beliefs are your rules and govern all your decision-making. Most of the time, your mind pays attention to this pushy director – it’s just your ego at work.
Think about it, if you were to make a movie of your life, would it be more optimistic or pessimistic?
Would it be about separation and conflict?
Or peace and love?
What assortment of emotions would be present?
So, if your mind is the producer, director, scriptwriter, editor, cast, projectionist, audience, and critic, you would have it in your power to make any type of film you choose.
It is your mind in charge. Your mind has the power and decision making responsibility. When the director (you) shouts “ACTION” it’s only you that decides what will be seen when the curtain opens.
Will the audience be held captive and spellbound by your performance?
Why not decide to direct your mind in the very best possible way to get the kind of action that produces brilliant results for you, your loved ones, and for those lucky people that come into contact with you? Why not make it a hero’s journey?
That would be a movie worth watching! Maybe the A-list will have to make way for a new star at their rather grand events!