Upgrade your Operating System

[9 min read: Install up-to-date operating software to your incredible bio-computer, and un-install those clunky, glitchy old programs that don’t serve you anymore.]

Recently, I've been inspired to do some 'inner-child' work, and it deepened my understanding of the programs that we inherit or accumulate.

Take a look at your smart phone. Look through the apps. Are there any apps that you don’t use anymore? Games, social or photo apps that you LOVED 2 years ago, but are now out-of-date or you just don’t use them anymore. You’ve changed as a person, different interests, different stage in life, different wants. 

So what do you do? You do a clean up of your phone apps right? Uninstall the old stuff you don’t use anymore, install the latest, coolest, useful apps. Delete old files to make memory space for new and relevant stuff?

You can do exactly that with your mind, your brain. Uninstall old programs that you inherited, or installed a long time ago, that no longer serves you, or worse, lags your system and holds you back. 

I shared the analogy of our body as a bio-computer a while back, our body being the hardware and our mind as software. It’s not so much an analogy as it really is an incredible bio-computer. Dr. Joe Dispenza and his deep-dive into re-wiring the brain and body through epigenetics is fascinating if you love the science behind it. 

Where did these programs come from?

Everyone will have different programs in their bio-computer system. A lot of these programs are inherited from our parents, school and society, our ‘Tribe’ (i.e. “You must have a University degree to have a good career”, “You should be married with kids by 30”, “You should supress your anger”). Some programs are self-learnt through experiences in childhood “If I’m a good girl, I get a reward” or “If I scream and shout, I’ll get attention from my parents”. 

A lot of old-programs can also pass from one generation to the next. Some are from societal expectations that may have been relevant hundreds of years ago but may be dysfunctional, even harmful now. You have the choice to recognise these programs, keep the ones that serve you and uninstall the ones that don’t align with you now, that don’t serve you. 

Clear and release them and replace them with a better suited and relevant programs for you. When your operating system is running on the latest and beneficial programs, the bio-computer feels empowered, free and balanced, operating at its peak performance. You feel GREAT!

How do I recognise what programs I have?

Mindfulness practice is what enables us to observe, identify and analyse (without judgement) what programs we have in our operating system. 

Personally, these were a few of mine I’ve uninstalled over the years

· “I’m not good enough”, replaced with “I am enough”

· “I’m right, therefore they’re wrong”, replaced with “We all have different perspectives of the same story”

· “They don’t understand me”, replaced with “I understand myself”

· “I don’t have enough experience”, replaced with “I gain experience through experience”

·  “If I fail, its going to be so embarrassing”, replaced with “Failure is part of my success”

· “If I say no, they won’t like me”, replaced with “I am allowed to say No to others, and Yes to myself”

· “I don’t like criticism”, replaced with “Constructive feedback helps me grow”

What are some that come to your mind? Write them down. Observe them and see how it impacts your day to day life. 

The replacement programs sound a lot like affirmations. I prefer to view these as new programs I am coding into my operating system. Affirmations can sound ‘optional’ to me, like a gentle nudge in the right direction. I am hard-coding my brain to run programs I want it to run. My brain is a super-computer, I can code it like a computer. Either way, the intention is the same 😊

How can I re-code the programs? 

Once you’ve mindfully observed your reactions to situations and understand your triggers, note them down in your Journal. Every time you feel resistance, annoyance, anger, or resentment (any feeling that doesn’t make you feel good) towards someone or a situation, right it down. Observe the feelings, watch the words that come out and actions taken. Write them all down when you can.  

In meditation, sit and reflect on the feelings and ask yourself:

· When did I first feel these feelings? 

· Where do these thought pattern come from? 

· Do I want/like this reaction? 

· Do I want to replace this reaction with something else? 

· How would I like to respond?

Whatever bubbles up, write it down. Even if it doesn’t make sense. If you’re able understand where it comes from, great! If not, no problem. 

TIP: It’s not personal. Try not to take it personally and spiral down the story of how you accumulated that program. Accept that it’s there and make the choice to keep or replace it. Basically, don’t wallow in the past, accept it fully in the present moment. 

Next whilst in meditation, set your intention to uninstall the program “I uninstall my unworthiness program”. Install your new program “I install my “I am Worthy” program”

TIP: When coding your intention, “I Am …” is the start code. Your brain will begin to re-wire itself and run the program. It may not be noticeable straight away as there may be years of old programming that needs to be cleaned out, but you’ll feel it. The shift will happen. 

In day-to-day activities, if you observe the old program there, feel free to run the up-to-date program anytime “I run my ‘I am Worthy’ program Now”. Feel it. Quieten your mind and breath into it. 

Remember, it’s a continuous journey of creating and re-creating yourself. Who you are yesterday, doesn’t define who you are today. You have the choice to choose who you want to be right Now. And who are want to be tomorrow. 

TIP: Be careful what mental viruses you expose yourself to. Physically, we wouldn’t ‘hang-out’ in toxic environments, or expose ourselves to viral infections. Be aware of mental viruses i.e. spending too much time in negative social media, negative news (get updated on what’s happening, then close it)

Quick Re-cap:

1. Observe, identify and analyse (without judgement) what programs we have in our operating system. Write them down in your Journal. 

2. In meditation, sit and reflect on the feelings and explore where/when/why the programs came to be. Awareness of the old-program is the key. If you’re not aware of it, it will just keep running in the background without you realising. 

3. Code in your intention to uninstall the program “I uninstall my unworthiness program”. Install your new program “I install my ‘I am Worthy’ program”. When you need a re-boot, think the program you want, quieten your mind and feel into it