The Power of 'x'.

Conor Lynch
May 21, 2017
7 min read

I Am 'x'

So Who Am I? And Who Are You?

X Signifies a Variable of Infinite Proportions.

We all start out as Something. Not Nothing, not A Big Thing, but Something. In Our Mother's Belly, 100 microns wide, we begin to Grow and Change. At the end of the first month, we have Grown to between 6-7 mm. At the end of the second month, we have grown to 2.54 cm. The third month, we are 6.7 cm and the fourth we are 6.5 inches!

In Sequence, we Multiplied quite significantly!

This, is the Power of 'x'.

We are 'x' everything.

x=Intelligence x=Strength x=Willpower x=Gender x=Weight x=Age x=Grade x=Class x=Affluence x=Wealth x=Accreditation x=Friends x=Relatives x=Direct Family x=Teachers x=Parents x=Jobs x=Photos You get the Picture.

We are 'x', which means we are Variable.

What This Means, is that We Can Change, We Do Change and We Will Change. That much is Absolutely Certain. So The Questions Remains...

How Exactly Do We Change?

Neuroplasticity allows us to Create New Neural Networks in the Brain. However, these New Neural Networks areTentative and the Brain Resists them in order to Save Energy.

So How Do We Maintain these New Neural Networks, and Build Healthy Habits?

In Order For The Brain To Take Action, (External) and (Internal) Triggers must be in place. So, What Defines A Trigger? In Fact, a Trigger is a Source of Motivation. An External Trigger means the Trigger comes from something or someone other than you. An Example could be a Friend Calling You. An Internal Trigger is something You Create Yourself. A few Examples are Making a Tea Every Morning and Checking Facebook Notifications.

Whether the Trigger is External or Internal may change, depending on the Source of the Trigger. Ex: Facebook Vibrates Your Phone With A Notification - External You Open Your Phone To Check If You Have Notifications - Internal

So, as many of you may know from the Frequency with which you check your Facebook...

Triggers Are Important In Creating An Influential Environment.

So How Extensive Are These 'Triggers'?

Well, here are just A FEW examples of Important Triggers In Your Life: Parents Friends Teachers Boss's Coworkers Job Need For Survival Hunger Urinary Fecal Vitamin Heat Cold Lonely Advertisements Television Video Games Holidays Birthdays Messeges Desires Aggressors Ideas Business Cards

As well as a Multitude of Internal Triggers relating to External Sources. Ex. Desire for Favorite TV Show Desire for Partner Desire for a Substance Desire for Candy Desire for Approval Desire for Comfort Desire for Novelty Desire for Experience Desire for Family All of These Triggers Play An Important Role In Our Lives.

Whether they're Helping Us Remember our Aunt's Birthday or Reminding Us To Turn On The Television, Our Triggers are having a Huge Influence Over Us.

So How can we Use these Triggers to Our Advantage?

One Method is Identifying Your Triggers. Simply List Out Every Possible Trigger you can think of in Your Life. Go through all the categories listed above and Identify Your Triggers, and Identify any other Triggers as well.

In This Way, You can Identify and Categorize Your Triggers, according to which are (Helpful) and which of your Triggers are (Hindrent).

But How Do We Organize What Is Helpful and Hindrent?

Ask "How Is This Helping Me?" "How Much Is This Helping Me?" "How Is This Hurting Me?" "How Much Is This Hurting Me?"

"Is This Going To Help Me Short Term?" "Is This Going To Help Me Long Term?" "Is This Right For Me?" "Is This Right For Others?"

"What Is This Costing Me?" "Do I Need This?" To which the answer is almost always "No" (Hint) "Do I Have Time For This?" "Is This Helping me or Hindering Me?"

"Is This What I Want To Do?" "How Can I Do This?" "What Can I Do To Accomplish This Now?" "What Should I Focus On?" Answer The Above Questions and Any Other Questions You May Have.

These will become New Trigger Sources.

For Example, a child at school may be given a lot of candy by his Mom for lunch. The Child may ask, "How is this helping me?" - Taste, Pleasure, Energy "How much is this helping me?" - Kind of "How is this hurting me?" - Calories, Acne, Sugar Crash "How much is this hurting me?" - Not too much "Is this going to Help me Short Term?" - Yes "Is this going to Help me Long Term?" - No "Is this Right for me?" - Kind of "Is this right for others?" - Kind of "What is this costing me?" - A little Health, No Money, Sugar Crash, Acne "Do I need this?" - No "Do I have time for this?" - Yes "Is this Helping me or Hindering me?" - Help/Energy Hinder/Crash, Acne, Health "Is This What I Want To Do?" - Not really "How Can I Do This?" - My Mom puts it in my lunch "What Should I Focus On?" - My Passions, School, Homework, Chores, Family, Friends "What Can I Do To Accomplish This Now?" - Play, Learn, Study, Work, Love, Give Chocolate

As You Will See with the Above Chart, the Questions and Answers are Highly Subjective.

Your Answers and Questions will Rely On Your Personality, Your Environment and Your Wiring.

So What Does That Mean?

Personality = Personal, Natural Consciousness and Soul (Person) Wiring = Current Habits, Beliefs, Thoughts and Feelings, based on Previous Nurturing. Environment = What You Are Currently Surrounded and Encompassed By.

In Fact, you may have Triggers arise from your Own Personality, Your Wiring AND Your Environment!

So How Are You Wired?

Name some Beliefs, Habits and Feelings that you have been Nurtured to Accept. - Life Is Good - I Am Smart - Shower Every Morning - Brush Teeth after Shower and before Bed - Life Isn't Fair - I Have To Work Hard

What is your Environment? Name some Places, People and Resources you Spend Time around. - My room, My House - My City, My School - My Friends, My Family - My Teachers, Staff - My Bikes, Boards, Books and Audio Equipment - Library, Internet, People

Who Are You, Really? Name some Defining Charachter Traits that Your Mind, Heart and Soul - Creative, Musical - English Speaking, ADD - Compassionate, Loving - Considerate, Anxious - Liberatarian, Idealist - Free Thinker, Agnostic Thiest

Seem Complicated? Well get This:

Your Wiring, Your Environment and Your Personality are MIXED!

That's Right! Mixed.

So Who The Hell Are You, Anyway?

Well, now that you have Transcended Childhood, you can Become Someone Else. Not nessecerily 'Whoever You Want To Be', but a Reflection of 'Who You Want To Be'.

Let's say you want to be a good person, so you give a Pan Hander a few coins. Do You Feel Like A Good Person? Maybe.

Now Let's Say You See The Pan Handler an hour later with a Pack Of Cigarettes. Do You Feel Like A Good Person Now?

Consider This: The Cigarettes may Help the Pan Handler with his Stress. The Cigarettes may Hurt the Pan Handler in his Lungs.

Whether You Helped or Hindered Him Relies On Your Outlook and His Outlook.

Or Does It?

Quantum Theory would argue that Opinion and Perspective Define Reality. Natural Law Defines Otherwise:

Even if You Believe you are helping him, and He Believes he is helping himself, he may Still Get Cancer and Die Sooner because he bought Cigarettes with the Coins You Gave Him.

As You Can See, Perspective has No Real Effect on Reality.

Even if You Believe he will purchase Organic Vegetables because You Would purchase Organic Vegetables, that does Not mean that your perception will alter his reality.

However, You may of course Purchase Organic Vegetables on his Behalf and Give Him That.

The Amount Of Control you place on Your Resources depends on You.

Now Let's Say Your Father told you it is good to give to the needy. This is your Wiring. So You Give.

Now Let's Say You Move To The City, where money is tight and there are many homeless. This is your Environment. So You Save.

Now Let's Say You Decide to Buy Organic Veggies rather than Give Coins. So You Buy Them.

Your Wiring Your Environment and Your Personality

All have an Affect on How You Think, Feel and Behave.

Remember the Lesson on The Think, Feel, Act Triangle?

These Three Factors are a Factor of 'x'.

Thoughts = 'x' Feelings = 'x' Actions = 'x'

Now You May Consider the TFA Triangle like this

Wiring = Feelings Environment = Thoughts Personality = Actions

Wiring Controls Feelings Environement Controls Thoughts and Personality Controls Actions

Is That Right?

As an Example, Consider This:

Feelings = Wiring Thoughts = Environment Actions = Personality

From This Perspective, we can see that:

Wiring can have an Effect on our Feelings. Wiring = Feelings Feelings can have an Effect on our Wiring. Feelings = Wiring

Environment can have an effect on our Thoughts. Environment = Thoughts Thoughts can have an effect on our Environment. Thoughts = Environment

Personality can have an effect on our Actions Personality = Actions Actions can have an effect on our Personality. Actions = Personality

Does That Make Sense Yet?

We are 'x'. Thoughts = 'x' Feelings = 'x' Actions = 'x' Environment = 'x' Wiring = 'x' Actions = 'x'

Our Entire Being Is Subject To Change.

So What Does This Mean?

We are capable of Neuroplasticity - Forming New Neural Networks

Our Wiring, Environment and Personality are connected to our Feelings, Thoughts and Actions.

We Can Determine Using Q&A How These Factors Effect Us.

So Question 'x'.

What Are Your Thoughts? What Are Your Feelings? What Are Your Personality Traits?

What Is Your Environement? What Is Your Wiring? What Are Your Actions?

Question The Answers Until There Are No More Unanswered Questions. This Is The Path Of Enlightenment.

Know That There Will Always Be Unanswered Questions You Have Not Posed. This Is The Path Of Enlightenment.

Know Your Self, Your Thoughts, Your Feelings, Your Environment, Your Wiring, Your Personality and Your Actions. This Is The Path Of Enlightenment.

Remember Vividly:

In The TFA Triangle, You Learned that 'Thoughts' and 'Feelings' Come 'Naturally'. You Learned that Thoughts and Feelings Influence Actions. You Also Learned that (Actions Influence Thoughts AND Feelings).

'Actions' are the Result of Personal Choice. 'Personal Choice' is the result of the Factors In Your Life.

Your Life is Sculpted by Your Actions.

Thoughts and Feelings, Environment and Wiring, Personality and Actions...

Are All Sculpted by Your Actions. Yes, even Your Actions Themselves.

Decide What The Right Actions Are; What Will Be The Most Beneficial. This is What You Must Do to Create the Life You Want.