I’m going to be on the show, Energy Awareness with T Love, Wednesday October 7th live 5:00-6:00 PM CT. If you want to call in, here’s the number: 973-383-8022. Click HERE for details and playback
Also, we’re having a get-together in Houston this Saturday the 10th. If you want to be a part of it, meet us at 6:00 PM at Jason’s Deli on Katy Freeway (I-10).
Last but not least, don’t forget to enter the current giveaway. The prize is a chance to talk to Erik through medium, Kim Babcock. All you have to do is write a review for Erik’s book and copy and paste them into Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes and Noble. If you’ve already done this, then you’re a qualified entrant. Click here to enter: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Enjoy today’s post!
Me: This is kind of like a pot potpourri of stuff. Talk about the how idea that there’s not karma. People keep saying, “I’m going to have to come back if I don’t blah, blah, blah.”
Erik (rolling his eyes): That’s such bullshit.
Me: I know.
Erik: There’s no karma.
Heather: He’s using a friend of mine as an example. I’m not going to say her name.
Erik: She believes that there’s karma, and she feels like the next lifetime she’s going to learn her lesson, pay her karmic debt. For some people, they really believe that’s true. That’s their reality, their truth. So they make that happen for themselves. It’s unnecessary. They don’t have to do that. They’re making it harder on themselves by feeling like they have to do so much “good” to wipe out all the “bad.”
Me: Well, why do they think it is? What drives humans to have that belief?
Erik: It’s society. They say, “What comes around, goes around.” They put that information in their heads and start to believe it. With Christianity—I’m not picking on it. I’m just using it as an example—they believe that if you do this or that, you’re going to go to Hell. There’s some type of punishment for everything. They believe there’s a punishment for doing bad things and a reward for doing good things. This gives people the drive to do something good, and they want that. They want to control people with, “Oh, you can’t do that or this will happen.” Or “You’re going to go to Hell if you do that.” It’s really just because they want control. It’s a way to control people.
Me: People want control of themselves and some want control over the masses. I guess the idea of karma takes care of both.
Erik: Yes. They use it as a weapon.
Heather (smiling): He’s showing me the image of a sword, like a knight’s sword, and he’s slashing through stuff saying, “This is going to happen to you if you hurt me.”
Me: So people want to be influenced or motivated by punishment? Is it easier for them to use external props and forces to influence their choices instead of internal ones?
Erik: Yeah.
Heather: He’s talking about parents now.
Erik: A lot of parents—
Heather (glaring at Erik): Don’t use me. Do not use me as an example.
She tried to keep from smiling as she fusses.
Heather (laughing): I swear to god!
Erik: Okay. I’m going to let you off the hook. Some parents use physical punishment like they’ll spank them or smack their hand. Then the kid will scream at them, “Why? Why did you just do that?” and the parent will go, “Well you weren’t listening to me. That’s why you got in trouble.” What you need to do is use positive reinforcement instead. When they do something good, really build them up, and if they do something that isn’t—I don’t want to say it’s bad—
Me: When they break a rule?
Erik: Or do something disrespectful. Let’s go with that.
Me: Okay.
Erik: When they do something disrespectful, talk to them about it one-on-one. Talk to them like they’re an adult. It doesn’t matter if they’re two years old or ten or 20. Talk to them like they’re an adult because then they’ll begin to respect you. Yeah, when you start doing that to a kid who’s 5 years old, using this new positive reinforcement teaching method, it’s going to take a while for them to catch on. There’ve been so many years of them being programmed to think they’re going to get spanked or all this bad shit is going to happen to them if they do something “bad.” It’s going to take a while. Try. Be patient. Be persistent. Be more persistent than the child.
Me: That’s so hard!
Heather (laughing): Yeah, it is.
Me: What about logical consequences? Like say your kid wrecks the car. They have to pay for the deductible by earning it.
Erik: Yeah, let them learn. You can do that. I’m not saying that
Me: It’s kind of a punishment in a way.
I guess you’re allowing the punishment to happen instead of inflicting it on them.
Heather: He’s trying to think of a word for it. Positive punishment? That’s what he’s calling it.
Erik: You’re letting them learn the lesson because they did it to themselves. You’re not inflicting it.
Me: They inflict it on themselves.
Erik: Yes.
Heather: He also had something else to say.
Me: What is it?
Heather: He wanted to give this example of a little kid trying to touch a hot stove, and you keep telling him not to. Eventually, you let him touch it and get hurt. Then he’ll learn. He’s making fun of the way I say it cuz I’ll say it in a Mexican accent like my mom does. “So ya learn.”
We laugh.
Heather (to Erik): You can’t do a Mexican accent. I’m sorry. You can’t—no.
Me: You need to brush up on your accents, Erik.
Heather: Yeah.
Erik: Next!
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