Self-deception
“Self-deception is, by its very nature, the most elusive of mental facts. We do not see what it is that we do not see!

“Self-deception operates both at the level of the individual mind, & in the collective awareness of the group. To belong to a group of any sort, the tacit price of membership is to agree not to notice one’s own feelings of uneasiness & misgiving, & certainly not to question anything that challenges the group’s way of doing things. The price for the group in this arrangement is that dissent, even healthy dissent, is stifled!

“In order to break through the cocoons of silence that keep vital truths from the collective awareness you need courage. It is the courage to seek the truth & to speak it that can save us from the narcotic of self-deception.

“It is a paradox of our time that those with power are too comfortable to notice the pain of those who suffer, & those who suffer have no power.

“To break out of this trap requires the courage to speak truth to power!”  ~ Daniel Goleman

He goes on to explain:
“My thesis, in sum, revolves around these premises:
1) The mind can protect itself against anxiety by dimming awareness.
2) This mechanism creates a blind spot: a zone of blocked attention and self-deception.
3) Such blind spots occur at each major level of behavior from the psychological to the social.”

One thing he discusses is how our brain is like a filter. Any information that fits into our preconceived vision of the world is allowed to pass. The rest is subconsciously deleted from our awareness in order to avoid the anxiety of dealing with the dissonance.

In effect we trade truth for security!  Authenticity for perceived happiness!

We are creative powers and no outside circumstances can define us as long as we believe this to be true!  


Todd Sylvester
Have a Drug Free Day

If you don’t think you deserve a better LIFE, a successful family, how can you achieve it? How can you reach something if you don’t feel you can have it? If I don’t believe in myself, then it’s not likely that I’ll attract the means necessary to make this it a reality. It’s also not likely that I’ll be successful if I don’t believe it’s possible.

 What steps are you taking to make better things happen in your life?

1. You must have a “Growth Mindset.”  Believing you are something special is a Trap.  “The moment we believe that success is determine by an ingrained level of ability, we will be brittle in the face of
adversity.”  Write down your ideas/goals for the future. If you are going to be sober the rest of your life, what steps do I need to take?  Are you willing to stand alone in order to be clean?

2. Look at where you are now. Write down the things you’ll need to move forward. 
 
3. Consider your everyday thoughts. Do you go from believing you can reach your goals to being
discouraged? If you are always thinking negative thoughts how can you create a positive life for yourself? What you tell yourself everyday does have an impact on what happens in your life.

4.  Be willing to make mistakes, be willing to be honest with others and yourself, but most of all Try! 
This is a “Growth Mindset.”

 If you want to make positive and powerful changes, then you have to believe that those changes are possible for you. You have to be there on the inside long before you see the outside results.

Welcome to my blog!  My name is Todd Sylvester, AKA Sly Dog, and I have a dream.  A dream of a drug free world.  A dream where children learn to control their thoughts in such a way that anything they set their minds to, they will accomplish.  I believe that if we can control our thoughts we are in control of our lives.  My dream can be achieved with the help of all who participate.  In fact, I am determined to make it a reality and I have devoted my life to the cause.  I want you to believe in my dream too!

You see, as a former drug addict I lost something that was most precious to me.  I lost the ability to think for myself  because the drugs were in control.  No matter how hard I tried, I could never break free.  When I was finally clean I realized how destructive drugs were, not only to my body physically, but to mind mind mentally. It lead me to a life of misery.  I realize how important it is to think good thoughts and to believe in myself, something that drugs took away from me.  I have it back now but not without a fight.  I have to work at it still to this day by taking a "mind shower" every morning and night. 

Until next time!
Sly Dog