How controlled are we?

This morning I awoke earlier than I had hoped and was trying to make up my mind if I could hang on a little longer before I had to get up for a pee, when I had a thought.

Now this might be a little more information than you need at present but it is surprising how often it is that you get interesting and thought provoking ideas during that time when your brain is not fully in gear.

Well, be that as it may, the idea I had and which then kept my attention until the needs of my body demanded my action, was this: I have been going on for ages now that even our most dearly held beliefs have been planted in us and are not there by nature. Often they are left over from some out dated belief system or need, or have been given us by those who have wished to control and use us. Now some of these ideas are good to have, especially if we want to live amongst others, and some are not. They limit us and often cause us distress. But these gut feelings, as we call them, come from somewhere and we can suffer living our lives in their shadows. Now I am not saying sling them out willy nilly, but just to have a look at them? Re-evaluate them and see them for what they are. After all, who told us it was wrong to kill? (I believe this, with my whole heart, to be so.) Anyone for steak?

Well this was nothing new in my thinking, but, what was new for me and I repeat, for me, was how far back should I go with this we are programmed idea… Certainly the three meals a day is programming… Marriages and families? Good and bad?... Right and wrong?... Yes I think these are all good subjects for a long hard look… Love? That's a gritty one…. Life after death? Most certainly, but where did that come from? I don't mean it ain't true, but!! … And then I thought, what about life and death? Well, we have been told that's what happens and it does, doesn't it? Maybe this now is death and when we end this death we… what? Live?

We can take so much for granted and in so doing does it happen and is it therefore true? Dreaming butterflies and all that.

Maybe we live because we are taught that we do and die for the same reason!

Time for breakfast!!! So what? I like breakfast!