I’m a big fan of Oprah. She has a tremendous influence on people around the world, and I admire how she wields her power in a positive way. She is honest, insightful and human, and I like that in a person.

I don’t watch TV, so I’ve only seen a handful of her shows, but I’ve subscribed to her O magazine for years. I flip past all the glitz and glamour, $500 shoes and perfume to get to the bones. I laugh with Lisa Kogan, enjoy Martha Beck, and agree with Dr. Katz (most of the time.)

On the very last page is Oprah herself, writing her monthly insight for us. It’s called “What I know for sure.” She’s a great writer and it’s always fascinating to read what her life is like and how she rides the tidal wave of fame to stay sane. It makes me like her even more.

I thought it would be fun to do this myself; sit down and write out my long list of “what I know for sure.” I got out a pen and big piece of paper. But I sat there for a long time. Every thought I “thought” I knew for sure, I immediately countered with “but what if…?”

For example, I know for sure the law of attraction works. It has happened time and time and time again. If our thoughts create the life we are living then I have had some great thoughts – full of joy and gratitude and love. When it comes to the best my life has to offer me, then, yes, I will gladly take credit and say yeah! for the law of attraction.

And then I got breast cancer. To say it came out of the blue is not quite right. It came out of the black. To my conscious mind, I never once put those two words together where it concerned me. The doctors shook their head and called my case “so unusual.” I didn’t fit the profile in any way shape or form. My friends got worried, “If you can get it, then anyone can get it.”

How could I have possibly brought this on? The physical experience is behind me now, and to be honest, the experience impacted my life in a very positive way. But, once was enough, thank you very much. I will live with the residue the rest of my life. Those two words, “breast cancer” and “me” are definitely residing together in my ethers. How will the law of attraction play out now? I’m hoping I have the ability to turn it off and on at will. Bring me what will do me the most good, but keep the rest at bay, if you please.

Back to my list. The same goes for believing in karma and reincarnation. I believed strongly in them at one time and felt these concepts answered quite a few questions when I was younger. But for many years now, I have given them little thought. They are barely hanging on the sidelines of what I know for sure. I have moved beyond the fascination of past lives and the role they play in this one. That goes for karma too. They are the glitz and glamour I skip over to get to the bones of who I really am.

The writing exercise that didn’t happen brought me to this conclusion: We don’t have to believe in any one thing forever. Spiritual concepts, life experiences, and our own evolution morphs as we travel through life. What we know for sure should morph too.

What I know for sure is that I don’t know anything for sure. And that’s okay.

Occasionally an original thinker comes along, and everyone benefits. Steve Pavlina is such a person and his new book is destined to become a classic. It’s called “Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth.”

What I appreciate most about Steve’s style is that he has a fresh perspective. He’s obviously very intelligent (he earned a Bachelor’s degree in 3 semesters), but beyond his keen intellect is a well-balanced student of expanding consciousness. Yes he has a big brain, but his heart is equally well developed. Most personal growth experts are either brainiacs or love gurus. Steve has pioneered a refreshing blend of head and heart based on common sense and direct experience. This is a rare quality.

“My greatest breakthroughs usually come from personal experimentation…” – Steve Pavlina

His refreshing approach is obvious at the beginning of the book where he outlines how the book was born and how it is organized. (And yes, it is very organized!)

“It took me almost two and a half years, but I eventually found the solution I was looking for. It consists of just three core principles: truth, love and power. Four secondary principles are directly derived from the first three: oneness, authority, courage and intelligence. Oneness is truth plus love. Authority is truth plus power. Courage is love plus power. And intelligence is the total combination of truth, love and power . . . these principles are universal; they cannot be successfully compartmentalized without sacrificing something far more important – our true nature as conscious beings.” – Steve Pavlina

The book is organized around these fundamental principles. Personal anecdotes from Steve’s life illustrate his points and keep the material easy to grasp. The principles are sometimes obvious and sometimes deep. I found myself occasionally thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that?” (Many times, I did think of that, but had never articulated it so succinctly.) I appreciate his honest communication style and his gift of making deep concepts easy to catch.

“Genuine personal growth is honest growth. You can’t take short-cuts through the land of make-believe.” – Steve Pavlina

Truth

I resonated deeply with Steve’s recommendation for the importance of discovering your own truth and then learning how to live it on a moment-to-moment basis. We have all grown up in an era where we are brainwashed by the media. I know that’s a harsh assessment, but my own personal experience convinces me that it’s true. It’s a matter of degrees – some of us are mildly brainwashed and know it, while others are thoroughly brainwashed and clueless. (I explored this idea in depth in previous articles, “The Trouble with TV” and “Trade TV Time for Habits of Personal Development and Success.”)

“The cumulative effect of mass-media exposure is to condition you to adopt a false view of reality – one that upholds pro-advertiser values. The more you expose yourself to mainstream media such as television, the more skewed your mental model of reality becomes . . . this is a path of long-term laziness, apathy, and decay, not intelligent self-actualization.” – Steve Pavlina

Love

Here’s another topic that I have also explored in depth – connecting with other people. Steve explains how his wife, Erin helped him to open up to the fact that deep inside, we are really all one. Once that is experienced, relationships are forever changed. Close relationships become deeper, and new relationships begin to take on new dimensions. (I enjoyed exploring these important ideas in a previous article, “Meaningful Spiritual Relationships – Namaste Matters.” )

“There are few greater joys in life than the experience of conscious communication with another person. No ego games, false fronts, or manipulative tactics are employed. Both individuals simply want to connect with each other for the purpose of learning and growing. Once you’ve experienced such open, loving communication with another human being, it’s hard to settle for anything less.” – Steve Pavlina

Steve explains how Erin is a master of quick connections. She does this easily because she believes, rather she knows in her heart that we are all deeply connected, like individual cells forming one body. It’s not necessary for her to labor over creating new connections with people. Instead she just taps into the underlying connection she knows is already there. I’ve known a few people who can do this – my wife, Janey, for one, and it is a wonder to behold. It feels great, but I must admit, I’m still learning. I believe it, I love the idea of it . . . it’s just that I am still breaking through years of social conditioning and erroneous preconceived notions about our separateness.

“Instead of having to break the ice with someone, assume that there is no ice.” – Steve Pavlina

Power

The idea of exercising your own personal power and deliberately creating your best life is a theme that has run through many of my articles. I have known the value of this for a long time and continually explore new ways to do it better and better. It feels right to take the reins of life firmly in hand and deliberately steer it toward your deepest desires. What could be more important or more satisfying than to manifest the best version of yourself and the best life possible? (See “Your Passion as Your Compass,” and “Integrity Through Self-Reliance” and “Goal Setting or Let Go and Let God.”)

“When you set a goal that improves your present reality, what does it matter how long it takes to achieve the final outcome? Whether it takes one week or five years is irrelevant. The whole path is fun and enjoyable. More important, you feel happy and fulfilled this very moment. This drives you to take action from a state of joy, so you’re productive too. Instead of going after goals you think will make you happy in the distant future, focus on goals that make you happy right now.” – Steve Pavlina

Self-Discipline

Successful people usually have it. Unsuccessful people usually don’t. That’s a good clue about the importance of self-discipline in a successful and fulfilling life. To me, the idea of self-discipline is simply a promise I make to myself based on my current understanding on what’s best. It has to be best for me, as well as the good of the whole, for me to be able to get behind it and push when necessary.

“It’s your fail-safe, your motivational backup system . . . motivation starts the race, but self-discipline ultimately crosses the finish line.” – Steve Pavlina

Besides the satisfaction of completing self-appointed tasks as a result of well-functioning personal self-discipline, it feels good while the task is in progress too. It helps you feel good about yourself when you know you are capable of making an important promise to yourself . . . and then keeping it. (See previous article, “Self-Discipline in 3 Easy Steps.”)

Authority

Socrates said, “Know thyself.” That’s a good first step to being authentic. You can’t be yourself until you know yourself. Social conditioning has a way of turning us into homogenous drones . . . cogs in the wheel of industry and consumerism. There’s more to life that that. Much more. It all begins with our personal authority. Unless you assumne your own authority, don’t expect anyone else to simply grant it to you by default. (See previous article, “Know Thyself – Ignore Comparisons and Be Yourself.”)

“When you live without authority, your default behavior is to squander your time. You may acquire some knowledge, but you won’t apply it well. You may take some action, but your movements will be chaotic and unfocused. You have the potential to live a powerful, self-directed life of your choosing, but until you step into your true authority, this potential remains a fantasy.” – Steve Pavlina

Each of us have the responsibility and the profound privilege to take the raw materials of our life and turn it into the life of our dreams. It’s satisfying beyond measure – easily worth whatever it takes to learn how to do it well. This habit of mental discipline is not done in broad strokes but in the small details of life. It’s the little things over a period of time that add up to making a big difference. What are you doing today that has the potential of making a lasting difference in the quality of your life and your personal satisfaction?

“People of authority focus on what really matters to them. They don’t waste time on trivialities . . . What’s important to you in life? What’s a relative waste of your time? . . . If you can’t honestly predict a positive long-term impact from your actions, admit that you’re wasting your time, and set some goals that really matter to you. There’s no substitute for investing your life in something that has the potential to make a real difference.” – Steve Pavlina

Persistence

It’s easy to give up. Anyone can do that. And most people do. Succesful people, in all areas of life, are simply people who have tried and failed enough times to have gained a good education. They fall down, get up and keep going. They recognize it as part of the journey. The failures are opportunities to learn, so they don’t shrink from them. Instead they embrace the new lesson learned and press on. Persistent people are inspired people, and they are inspiring. (See previous article, “Persistence and Perseverance for Winners – Losers Just Quit“)

“I don’t get inspired by people who have all the external trappings of success like money and fame. I’m moved by those who I can see are destined for greatness, but no one else knows it yet. The telltale sign is always the same – persistence.” – Steve Pavlina

Courage

One of my favorite authors in Carlos Castaneda and the way he described his tutelage by the Yaqui Indian shaman, Don Juan. I’ve read all his books, some of them several times, so I wasn’t surprised when Steve Pavlina quoted Don Juan . . .

“Before you embark on [any path] ask the question: Does this path have a heart? If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must choose another path . . . When a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him.” – Carlos Castaneda

Does this idea hold any special meaning to you? The idea of a path with heart is a very personal idea, and only you can recognize the truth of your answer. It reminds me of the lyrics to one of my songs:

“And no one but you can find the answer to your quest
Your answer’s for you and not all the rest
(You know your answer’s the best, it’s not a contest)
The question is easy enough, and any honest answer is good enough
You really gotta know . . . . . what do you love?”
- From the song, “Do What You Love” by Tupelo Kenyon

When you are in alignment with what you love, your path has heart. You find it easy, even joyful, to take action. You’re commited, and you like it that way. It’s not a chore but a thrill to do things when you are on your path with heart. (To honestly explore your personal path with heart, see this previous article, “10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose.”)

“It’s a great idea to consciously intent what you want, and I highly recommend you do that, but if you don’t want something badly enough to take direct action, then what does that say about your intention? Doesn’t that suggest you aren’t really commited to it? When you’re really hungry, will you wait patiently for food to arrive, or will you get up and make something to eat? When your intentions are important to you, direct action becomes part of the manifestation process. The best instruments of the Law of Attraction are your own hands and feet.” – Steve Pavlina

Intelligence

There’s something deeply satisfying about reading what an intelligent person has to say about intelligence. That’s one of the reasons why I have enjoyed reading Einstein’s words, who said, “Imagination is more powerful than knowledge.”

Steve is a very imaginative person, plus he has learned how to apply the knowledge he has gained. It takes intelligence to do that. His book allows him to take the next step which is to share what he has learned. He has worked hard on his communication skills because he recognizes the importance of sharing the wealth of his intelligence with others. I love being inspired by articulate, intelligent, big-hearted people . . .

“Intelligence is the highest form of human expression. Our intelligence is what defines us as human beings. It is our greatest strength, our staunchest ally, and our most noble pursuit. Without it, we are nothingness; we are form without substance and existence without purpose. It is only through the deliberate exercise of intelligence that we give our lives meaning, a meaning that is consciously chosen . . . the most intelligent thing you can possibly do with your life is to grow.” – Steve Pavlina

Habits

Personally chosen, deliberately cultivated habits help keep us on track. They are tools that allow us to translate our resolve into our daily lives. They simplify the day-to-day activities that help us get from where we are to where we want to be. Good habits are our friends, and I really appreciated the following jewels of insight Steve offered on the subject of habits . . .

“How do you know if a habit is positive or negative? Use your mind’s predictive powers to imagine what long-term, cumulative effect each one will have if you maintain it for the rest of your life . . .

“Since habits wield power over your results, you must wield power over your habits . . .

“Take a moment to consider the social consequences of your actions. Do your habits help others align themselves with truth, love and power, or does your behavior lead people astray? . . . Which habits put you on a path with a heart? . . . When your habits are aligned with truth, love and power, the guy in the glass is your friend.” – Steve Pavlina

Career

It’s inspiring to learn from someone who has figured out a way to harness his greatest gifts to experience abundance while helping others at the same time. This paradigm is still rarely manifested in our current society, but examples like Steve can inspire us to our own greatest potential of contribution.

“. . . the best way to optimize your income is to find a career medium that allows you to share your most important message. By sharing your message with others, you provide exactly the kind of value that can generate abundant income.” – Steve Pavlina

I appreciate Steve’s take on contribution vs. mooching. Many of us are taught to get as much as we can for as little as possible. That is, maximize the return while minimizing the input. The natural extension of this mindset is a nation (or a world) of people expecting a handout. It’s entitlement mentality run a muck.

Instead, Steve does a fine job of extolling the virtues (personally and globally) of a mindset based on contribution. When you provide value, it is inevitable that you receive value in return. It’s a wonderful idea and a tad sad that such a common sense approach has fallen out of favor in modern society. Imagine what it would be like if everyone dealt with one another with this dedication to contribution, rather than focusing on, “What can I get?”

“To build an authentic career, you need to find the path that keeps you aligned with truth, love and power. This requires paying attention to the following four questions:

1. Body (needs): What must I do?
2. Mind (abilities): What can I do?
3. Heart (desire): What do I want to do?
4. Spirit (contribution): What should I do?

“An authentic career is found in the place where all four of these questions produce the same answer . . . When you have all four areas working synergistically together, the combined effect is truly amazing. Instead of meeting your needs, you experience true abundance. Instead of applying your knowledge to your tasks, you unlock your true genius. Instead of tolerating your daily routine, you work in a state of joy. And instead of just putting in your time, you fill your days with a sense of purpose.” – Steve Pavlina

Money

It’s best to learn from those who know. I once had a college instructor who never once demonstrated what he taught. He taught a swimming class, and he never got wet. It was difficult to believe the teacher was much of an authority on the subject when he shouted his instructions from the sidelines. It would have been easier to learn from him if he would have joined us in the game.

StevePavlina.com is one of the world’s most popular personal development blogs (if not the most popular). With over two million visitors per month, he knows what he is talking about, whether he is speaking about personal development or financial development.

“. . . money is a human invention to facilitate the exchange of value. To shun money as something evil or unnecessary is a huge mistake. When properly aligned with truth, love and power, it becomes a valuable tool of conscious living – one that’s too important to ignore. If you want to live consciously, you must learn to use money intelligently . . . work within the area of overlap between your personal values and social values. This will enable you to do what you love while creating something that others treasure as well. Don’t force yourself to focus between your integrity and your income – demand that both be satisfied.” – Steve Pavlina

The section on money in Steve’s book is thorough and thought-provoking. It will challenge you to rethink your assumptions about money and how to get more of it. I feel confident almost everyone will benefit from this enlightened look at money.

“Do your best to create and share your value with others, and you’ll help create a richer and more abundant world for all of us.” – Steve Pavlina

Health

True to his commitment to personal experimentation, many of Steve’s major health improvements have been a result of his 30-day trial technique. This is how he proved to himself that his body responded best to vegetarianism. More energy, clearer focus, less sleep required, and other benefits convinced him to adopt it as a lifestyle choice after the 30-day trial period was over.

I am also interested in diet, nutrition and health and have devoured many books on the subject. I wrote a thorough review on one of my favorites. (See previous article, “Finally the Truth About Diet – The China Study Review.“)

The ideas in Steve’s section on health and in “The China Study” are not mainstream. In fact, they are controversial, not because they are so outrageous but because we have drifted so far away from common sense in our dietary choices. Yes, we are the product of insidious social conditioning and are trained to eat, not what is good for us, but what is most profitable for the advertisers to sell. Recognizing this fact is the first step to assuming responsibility for our own health and deliberately choosing what we put in our mouth.

“In order to be healthy today, you must exercise your self-discipline to overcome the drag of social conditioning. Summon the maturity to make intelligent choices for yourself, regardless of what throngs of sick people encourage you to do . . . the truth is that if the average person wouldn’t consider your current health practices extreme, you probably aren’t very healthy.” – Steve Pavlina

Diet and nutrition is a science in its infancy. It’s easy to find conflicting advice from different experts. (That’s one reason why I appreciated “The China Study” so much. It’s not based on any fad diet or conjecture or marketing hype. In fact, it’s based in emperical scientific evidence gathered during the largest nutritional study ever done on planet earth!)

Ultimately, each one of us makes the decision of what we eat. That one seemingly simple decision has a major impact on the level of health and vitality we experience throughout our lifetimes.

“You can delegate control, but never responsibility . . . If I give you any particular advice in this area that doesn’t resonate with you, you should reject it and trust your own judgement instead.” – Steve Pavlina

Relationships

We are all in this together and we are all in this alone. It’s an interesting paradox. Our lives are defined and given shape by the other people in our lives. The people we choose to spend time with influence us in many seen and unseen ways. Especially for those of us interested in personal development, we need to pick our companions carefully and deliberately in order to support our chosen direction of personal growth. (These ideas were explored in previous articles, “Choose the Companionship of Positive People Who Inspire You” and “Life Drama as Blockage to Personal Development.”)

“I’ve learned to place a great deal of trust in my feelings when it comes to relationships. When something feels wrong to me, I know the best thing I can do is to go to the other person and explain that something doesn’t seem right so that we can work together to sort it out. When you bring truth to your relationships, you build closeness and trust.” – Steve Pavlina

Some of our most important life lessons and aha moments come as a result of our relationships, so it makes sense to do our best to communicate well and be considerate of others. A little kindness goes a long way . . .

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting battles too,
Cruel wars within themselves, just like it is with you.
Be kind, because you’ll never know just how much good you’ll do,
A heartfelt word or two can soothe a hidden wound.

“Sometimes the ripples from our deed’s a gentle touch, doesn’t seem to matter much,
It’s like dropping flowers in the Grand Canyon.
And though we’ll never know just what becomes of them, it’s all the same to them,
So drop them anyway, because you can.”
- from the song, “Be Kind” by Tupelo Kenyon

One of the things I appreciate most about Steve’s book is the way he threads the themes of truth, love and power through all the aspects of personal development, including his very insightful look at relationships.

“Exchanges that are lacking in truth, love, or power eventually grow stale, but when all three elements are present, the blocks to deeper levels of connection and closeness are removed . . . What mix of truth, love, and power do you use to connect with others? Realize that your weakest channel will be the source of many of your communication problems . . . When you know your dominant connection strategy, you can use it deliberately to regain your closeness whenever you start feeling a little distant from one another.” – Steve Pavlina

Building close relationships involves an element of risk, but a little courage can make a big difference in the quality of your life. You can’t always expect other people to initiate the contact. Sometimes it’s up to you to extend your hand (and your heart) and invite people in. Imagine what you could miss out on, if you don’t.

“The biggest risks are missing out on laughs you never shared, people you never helped, and the potential partner you sentenced to solitude . . .

“Since all human relationships are impermanent, live with the awareness that every one of your current connections will eventually end. Take the time to appreciate them while they last, and don’t take them for granted. Even when a relationship ends in death, it can still continue in your thoughts. The memories of loving relationships can become your most sacred treasures.” – Steve Pavlina

One of our most popular songs explores this idea. Like love itself, it’s a timeless idea. Those we love go right on living in our hearts, long after they’ve left this world.

“And even though you’re hurting now, the hurting will not last,
The strength you gain from such a pain remains when it’s all past.
And even this will pass away, like this life itself someday,
And all that we take with us is the love we gave away.”
- from the song, “All That We Take with Us” by Tupelo Kenyon

Spirituality

In this section of the book, Steve challenges us to look at our idea of spirituality through the lenses of truth, love and power, rather than the conditioned habits of custom, peer pressure, and heredity. It’s an enlightened approach to spirituality, stripped clean of outdated dogma and exclusive ideas designed to keep us loyal to one particular brand. What passes for spirituality has a history of tearing us apart rather than bringing us together.

I love the way Steve encourages us to consider all things spiritual and take the best of what each has to offer. It assumes the ancient words of Shakespeare were actually true and that we actually care enough to keep an open mind rather than blindly clinging to any one viewpoint . . .”There are more things in heaven and earth than ever dreamed of by your philosophies.”

“Just as your physical senses act as a lens through which you perceive different subsets of reality, your spiritual senses also act as cognitive filtering mechanisms. These filters allow you to focus on bits and pieces of preprocessed information which may or may not be useful to you. The more spiritual sensory data you can access and comprehend, the richer your spiritual life will be, and the more accurately it will model truth . . .

“When we confront the key spiritual question of our lives, such as Who am I? And What is my purpose in life? . . . we can limit our input to a small subset of these channels. In general, when we limit our input too severely, we end up making things harder than necessary, much like trying to prepare a meal while wearing a blindfold and earplugs. This is what happens when we say, ‘I’m only going to consider this single spiritual point of view because it’s the one and only truth’ . . .

“Even though each channel of input has limited expressiveness, if you can access a diverse enough set of channels, each one compressed and filtered in different ways, you can develop a more accurate and complete picture of reality. Each belief system you consider provides another way of viewing the same underlying data, thus helping you develop a better understanding of the whole . . .

“By examining your problems from different philosophical viewpoints, you empower yourself. Holistic solutions finally start to emerge. You gain the ability to solve problems you were previously unable to solve . . . most of us are socially conditioned to overlook the simplicity of across-the-board, high-level solutions because we cling to fixed belief systems that prevent us from seeing the big picture.” – Steve Pavlina

These ideas are close to my heart as I look around the planet and see the result of so many people stubornly clinging to some particular brand of spirituality and refusing to see any merit in any other viewpoint. That’s got to be the manifestation of ultimate insecurity to not even be able to consider the validity of a different idea. (I explored this idea in previous articles, “Beyond the Brands of Truth” and “Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion.”)

Clear thinking and honest exploration of truth is a refreshing approach to spirituality, and that’s why I appreciate Steve’s style of saying what he thinks and feels, even though it’s not the mainstream viewpoint. Far from it. But, I recognize that the tide is turning as more and more people worldwide are beginning to take responsibility for their own spirituality and making their own choices, rather than settling for being spoon fed by tradition.

“A multispectral philosophy of life – that is, one that combines input from multiple perspectives – aligns closely with what’s considered common sense . . .

“The point of spiritual exploration is to help you make conscious, empowering choices . . .

“Many serious conflicts in the world result from the decision to pass on beliefs that label other human beings as unworthy, damaged, or evil . . .

“Your beliefs are not merely observations of reality; they also shape and define your experience of reality. Many of the thoughts you hold most sacred may reveal hidden falsehoods once you take the opportunity to consider the alternatives.” –Steve Pavlina

Celebrating an Expansive Viewpoint

This empowering book, like all great books, performs magic. It allows us to take a peek inside one of the great minds of our time. As a result, it makes the inside of my head (and heart) feel bigger. What more could you ask for in a book?

These last Steve Pavlina quotes do a fine job of tying it all together . . .

“The ultimate goal of any sound spiritual path is to be infinitely truthful, infinitely loving, and infinitely powerful. By extension, this also requires infinite oneness, infinite authority, and infinite courage . . .

“If it were somehow possible for everyone on earth to come together and agree on a single spiritual philosophy, it would be one that incorporates the universal principles of truth, love, and power. These are the ideals that guide us not only as human beings, but also as spiritual beings . . .

“Invest in creative self-expression, service and contribution, and you will suffer no scarcity. Your greatest gift to the world is to share who you really are . . . No one is served by your refusal to shine.” – Steve Pavlina

Personal Appreciation

Although I don’t personally know Steve and his wife, Erin, they both feel like old friends that Janey and I haven’t yet met. Steve’s writings have been a source of inspiration and encouragement to me for a couple of years. I first went to his website as a result of a link in an email from Derek Sivers, founder of CDbaby.com. Derek was impressed that anyone could graduate from college after only three (very busy) semesters, and recommended an article Steve wrote on how he accomplished that.

I began exploring his other articles and it soon became clear I had found a kindred spirit. His example inspired me to begin writing again, and TupeloKenyon.com was born shortly thereafter. The blog spawned the “Inspired on Purpose” newsletter which provides satisfaction and inspiration for myself as well as others. I have Steve Pavlina to thank for all this.

Thanks Steve, for all you do . . . and all you are.

Sincerely,
Tupelo Kenyon

P.S. Get this book, while it’s in first edition. It’s a classic, and I could only hint at it’s empowering breadth and depth in this (rather long) gushing review.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Be Kind Your example and the kindness shown to others can have a rippling affect that goes on and on. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor9 All That We Take With Us Even sorrow brings us gifts of deeper understanding and a clearer perspective of what is really important. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor3 Endless Journey Traveling has so many gifts to give! Spectacular scenery, interesting cultural differences, and the inspiring people you’ll meet. What a well-rounded education is provided by getting away and looking around . . . and, it’s an inspiring education that never has to end. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor8 Songs by Tupelo
The Trouble with TV Does TV enhance our life experience or get in the way of living our lives? Celebrate life with this refreshing perspective on the boob tube. Trade TV Time for Habits of Personal Development You” be glad you did, and once you go through the withdrawal stage, you’ll never look back. Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Goal Setting or Let Go and Let God There are two approaches people use to manifest their desires. Some set goals. Others surrender and presume the universe is conspiring to deliver to them their every desire without strain, in its own way and in its own time. Which way is better? Can these two methods be used together? Self-Discipline in 3 Easy Steps Why is it so difficult to follow through and accomplish what you set out to do? Usually, there is one important missing ingredient: personal discipline. For most of us, the idea of discipline is an external force – it’s something that comes from the outside. For instance, we discipline our children. Most of us are familiar with discipline as a verb (something we do to someone else), but we’re not so familiar with the concept as a noun – something we cultivate from within and apply to ourselves. Know Thyself – Ignore Comparisons and Be Yourself The average person is content to base self-knowledge on comparisons to other people. If this is the measure of self-knowledge, it is based on someone else’s standards. This practice misses the point of “Know Thyself.” Instead, it’s all about how to fit in. We are all unique individuals with our own strengths, talents and nudges leading us to embrace our own best life. True knowledge of self is attained from personal insights of looking inwardly rather than outwardly towards others. Persistence and Perseverance for Winners – Losers Just Quit Giving up is easy. Most people make a habit of giving up. In fact, they make a life of it Persistence through a solution-oriented attitude is for visionaries, dreamers and other winners who refuse to take “no” for a final answer. 10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. Finally the Truth About Diet – The China Study Review Finally, here’s an authoritative diet and nutrition book based on hard science and exhaustive research. This revealing book is written by one of the world’s most respected authorities in the field of nutrition. In his own words, he has been “in the system for almost fifty years, at the very highest levels, designing and directing large research projects, deciding which research gets funded and translating massive amounts of scientific data into national expert panel reports.” There is so much useful information in this book, I consider it one of the most important books I have ever read and give it my highest recommendation. Change your diet and change the quality of your life. Choose the Companionship of Positive People Who Inspire You If the people you spend the most time with are inspiring, supportive, encouraging, and they demonstrate qualities you want to emulate – great, you are on the right track. If not, it’s up to you to do something about it. Life is too short to put up with other people’s pity parties, bitch-and-moan marathons, and oh-woe-is-me clubs. Life Drama as Blockage to Personal Development Some people seem to relish drama in their lives. They go from one catastrophe to another. They thrive on it as if drama is what makes them feel alive. You may be able to see that they are attracting these experiences by their daily thoughts and feelings. But, they don’t recognize it from within the narrow confines of their personal drama. To someone immersed in drama, the idea that they are creating it is completely foreign. With intent, practice and mindfulness, what was once considered drama that snowballed out of control becomes simply examples of the contrasts of life to help you sharpen your preferences and shape your desires. Beyond the Brands of Truth Truth depends upon your belief. If you believe something is true, that makes it true . . . true for you. Of course, if you don’t believe that statement, never mind, because your belief defines your truth in another direction. But, we can commit to finding our own personal truth. We can hope our example will inspire others to look inside for their own truth rather than looking outside at the tumultuous world of competing brands of “truth.” Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion Is truth absolute or relative? Is there anything beyond science, philosophy and religion? Many of the world’s top quantum physicists think there is. Celebrate life by stretching you imagination. Articles by Tupelo

Truth is one. Opinions are many. Or does the following sound more like the truth?

Truth is relative, depending upon the opinion of the beholder. Or how about this . . .

Truth depends upon your belief. If you believe something is true, that makes it true . . . true for you. Of course, if you don’t believe that statement, never mind, because your belief defines your truth in another direction.

Truth is Many

Obviously, there are many versions of truth . . . or at least, perceived truth. A quick glance around the planet reveals a dizzying array of diverse “truths.”

These truths are a reflection of the culture and century they are born into. Only a thousand years ago, the truths of the day included such gems as these:

• Bathing is hazardous to health.

• Women interested in learning about herbs and potions are witches and should be burned alive.

• The earth is flat and is the center of the universe.

• God demands that everyone subscribes to only one version of truth. All others are heretics and should be killed. (In the name of God, of course . . . yes, that’s the same God who decreed “Thou shalt not kill,” but this is an exception to that rule – a divine loophole in this particular brand of “truth.”)

“The belief that there is only one truth and that oneself is in possession of it seems to me the deepest root of all evil that is in the world.” – Max Born (1882-1970) – German physicist

The Birth of a Brand of Truth

When temporal truths become sanctioned policies of some official organization, they become brands. This is the truth about truth, and it has been this way for millenia. For many, the idea of truth is merely a brand that has been effectively marketed until it becomes a belief. A belief is simply a thought that is repeated over and over again. It is repeated because it’s in the interest of some brand of truth to have as many people as possible supporting their particular “take” on truth.

What’s Behind the Smoke and Mirrors?

An objective look at this phenomenon reveals that the various brands of truth have an agenda. Usually, the agenda is obvious – they want their brand to grow and prosper in order to increase the power base and affluence of those who are founders or stewards for each particular brand of truth.

Sometimes the agenda for a particular brand of truth is not so apparent. How do you get to the bottom of their motivation for spreading their particular brand? There’s one reliable method, proven effective through the millennia: Follow the money trail.

Lighthouses Through the Ages

Sure, there are altruistic individuals in every discipline, sincere and passionate about their personal insights and eager to share what they’ve learned. There have always been inspiring stories of discovery and wisdom in every culture, and people with a message worthy of being heard. This caliber of sincerity burns brightly through the centuries and helps to inspire us all to greater understanding.

Fortunately, every age has highly functioning individuals who serve as shining beacons, able to inspire others from within the culture of the times. They are able to use the language and thought forms of the day to help people take the next step toward new ideas, expanded beliefs and new truths.

“I call that mind free which jealously guards its intellectual rights and powers, which calls no man master, which does not content itself with a passive or hereditary faith, [and] receives new truth as an angel from Heaven.” – Woody Allen (b. 1935)

Dear God, Please Save Me from Your Followers

Historically, the problems begin whenever someone’s personal understanding of truth begins to congeal into a brand. The visionary may have no interest in creating anything resembling a brand, but life-enhancing ideas have a way of taking on a life of their own. Friends and associates become interested, then converted, then fervent, then passionate. They become disciples, then missionaries, then soldiers for “truth.”

They take it upon themselves to spread their particular adopted brand of truth far and wide, regardless of the intent of the founder. They make it their personal life mission to assure everyone knows about their brand. If they meet resistance, it must be overcome, because their crusade is true and just, and their brand must be spread, at all costs, even if deadly force is required. Whenever someone claims to have a monopoly on truth, history reminds us of the wisdom of walking (no, running!) in the opposite direction.

Adopted Truth

Some of these endorsees of “truth” are sincere and honestly believe they are devoting their lives to the mightiest of missions. Others are swept up in the frenzy of someone else’s truth, someone else’s belief, someone else’s habit of thought. They readily adopt someone else’s brand of truth because they don’t have one of their own

“Don’t let your special character and values, the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth — don’t let that get swallowed up by the great chewing complacency.” – Aesop (620-560 BC)

Is Truth Too Difficult?

Why are some so eager to adopt the truth of another? Perhaps they never realized the possibility of discovering their own personal truths. Maybe they are gullible and easily influenced by those who talk a good game. Maybe they are simply lazy and found it too much trouble to discover their own truth. They’d rather fit in, and go along with the crowd. It’s much easier to subscribe to some pre-packaged, ready-to-consume, bite-sized brand of truth – custom marketed to fit nicely into their busy lifestyle.

“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.” – Giordano Bruno

“The high minded man must care more for the truth than for what people think.” – Aristotle (384-322 BC)

Truth Through the Ages

We can learn much from history and our race’s relationship with truth. By looking back with objectivity, we can look forward with more intelligence, keener insight and a sharper discernment for identifying personally appropriate truths.

“A lively, disinterested, persistent looking for truth is extraordinarily rare. Action and faith enslave thought, both of them in order not to be troubled or inconvenienced by reflection, criticism or doubt.” – Henri-Frédéric Amiel (1821-81)

We are living in a different world than the world of our ancestors. Our world is round, and like any other circle, there are no beginning or end points. We can thrive in an endless sea of ideas, and find our own place in the continuum of truths. We can pick and choose what fits best from this buffet of truth and marvel at our own potential of reaching for understandings we have yet to imagine.

Can You Imagine Truth a Thousand Years from Now

Just as our ancestors of a thousand years ago could never have imagined today’s recognized truths of stellar nurseries, black holes in the center of countless galaxies, and the vast space and unfathomable energy inside tiny atoms, there are truths still unknown to us that will continue to redefine who we are and how we fit into this mysterious universe we call home. There are many ways to understand bits and pieces of it and other ways to appreciate the mysteries, and they are all valid.

“No human being is constituted to know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; and even the best of men must be content with fragment, with partial glimpses, never the full fruition.” – Alan Marshall Beck (b, 1942)

All Things Change – Even Truth

Truth is a moving target. Our idea of truth grows as our capacity to understand unfolds. We do a serious disservice to ourselves and our fellow man and the entire universe whenever we get stuck on any one particular brand of truth . . . any one particular habit of thought.

“If what you seek is Truth, there is one thing you must have above all else…an unremitting readiness to admit you may be wrong.” – Anthony de Mello

We have an amazing brain, so powerful, we are just beginning to fathom its awesome potential. It’s a built-in tool to help us compare and analyze “truth.”

We have a heart to help us feel what is in alignment with who we really are.

And, we are soul with the capacity to know from direct personal experience what is truth for us, right here and right now.

“To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul. To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of, because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solutions.” – Deepak K. Chopra (b. 1946)

If our personal truth morphs over time, that’s okay. Everything else in nature changes, so why should we be surprised when our understanding of truth grows? It is only natural for our personal truth to grow wider and deeper as our consciousness expands.

The New Age of Truth

The idea of warring brands of truth is part of our ancestor’s world and has no place in the reality of those of us interested in personal development and ongoing inspiration. We recognize the greatest gift is the gift of freedom – freedom to choose, explore and try out different brands of truth until the dawning of our own personal truth. This is our birthright and we demonstrate divine understanding best when we offer the same to our fellow man. Many paths can lead to the same destination.

“The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. The opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.” – Niels Henrik David Bohr (1885-1962) – Danish physicist, chemist

As a race, we no longer need an intermediary to tell us what we are allowed to believe, how to feel, how to think, and what to embrace as truth. We have everything we need to find our own truth . . . truth for us . . . in this present moment.

“What has not been examined impartially has not been well examined. Skepticism is therefore the first step toward truth.” – Denis Diderot (1713-84)

This understanding of personal truth has the power of transforming our world. Look at history for examples of all the wars waged and people killed because someone felt the need for their particular brand of truth to be validated. This idea is barbaric. We are better than that, and it’s time we start acting like it!

Let it Be

We can’t change those who are stuck pushing someone else’s brand of truth. They will continue to indulge in their drama and eventually die off (or be killed by someone flying the flag of some other brand). We can offer them kindness, tolerance and grant them the freedom to discover their own truth in their own way and in their own time.

“Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true.” – Robert Brault

Meanwhile, we can commit to finding our own personal truth. We can hope our example will inspire others to look inside for their own truth rather than looking outside at the tumultuous world of competing brands of “truth.”

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.
Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Way of the World Life is so huge . . . so diverse . . . the possibilities are literally infinite. What’s the best way to sort it all out and carve out a little niche of our own? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor1 Trash Our Treasures People seem to have a history of awarding seemingly insignificant details with places of prominence in our lives, while ignoring or even destroying the most important aspects. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor2 Soul in the Stars It feels good to try to see the bigger picture once in awhile,and to focus on gratitude for what we have, rather than the frustration of what we are lacking. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor4 Within Without An atom and a solar system is virtually the same thing – mostly empty space! Even quantum physics is still wondering, "Is the universe a great big thing, or a great big thought?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor6 Same Olde Time Time – it’s so relative. "What if distant starlight shining in the endless sky is just the same, by a different name, as the twinkle in your eye?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor7 Be Kind Your example and the kindness shown to others can have a rippling affect that goes on and on. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor9 Just One Step Just begin. If you will just get underway, the project itself gains momentum and carries you along to its completion. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor12 Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun Nothing to do? How about too much to do? Our attitude seems to make the difference. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor16 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Songs by Tupelo
Know Thyself – Ignore Comparisons and Be Yourself The average person is content to base self-knowledge on comparisons to other people. If this is the measure of self-knowledge, it is based on someone else’s standards. This practice misses the point of “Know Thyself.” Instead, it’s all about how to fit in. We are all unique individuals with our own strengths, talents and nudges leading us to embrace our own best life. True knowledge of self is attained from personal insights of looking inwardly rather than outwardly towards others. Six Killers of Individuality and Personal Independence Is the course of your life determined by your own internal road map or by a map made by someone else? Each of us can choose our direction deliberately and live a life custom sculpted. Each life can be as individually unique as the person living it. If you pattern your life after someone else, exactly what is it you have to offer? Life Drama as Blockage to Personal Development Some people seem to relish drama in their lives. They go from one catastrophe to another. They thrive on it as if drama is what makes them feel alive. You may be able to see that they are attracting these experiences by their daily thoughts and feelings. But, they don’t recognize it from within the narrow confines of their personal drama. To someone immersed in drama, the idea that they are creating it is completely foreign. With intent, practice and mindfulness, what was once considered drama that snowballed out of control becomes simply examples of the contrasts of life to help you sharpen your preferences and shape your desires. How to Live the Life of Your Dreams Through Intuition Intuition feels good. That should be enough of a clue it’s something that can be trusted. But, our culture has done a thorough job of instilling doubt about the wisdom of following our instincts. Instead, we are taught to think things through and be logical. These mental tools are important, but they were never intended to be used instead of intuition. They work better when used in conjunction with intuition. If we are open to it, we get nudges and insights to move us in the direction of our greatest joys, our most valuable contributions, and our most satisfying life. Those quiet whispers and gentle taps on the shoulder are examples of inner guidance in action – intuition. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Methods as Temporary Tools Instead of Lifetime Crutches We are obsessed with our methods. We become attached to our particular way of doing things. The trouble comes when we cling to an old method that we have outgrown. We feel bogged down and then stuck when our personal development potential is being limited by an outdated method. If your method feels more like a crutch than a tool, it’s time to take an objective look at it. Is the method in question bringing you peace and joy? Is it helping your personal growth, or is it just a familiar and comfortable habit of thought? Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Belief Systems vs. Knowing How do you discern between something known and a habitual thought – a belief? The first step is to recognize that the vast majority of our beliefs are based not upon our own personal experiences and revelations but upon anecdotal evidence and the recommendations of other people, past and present. How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion Is truth absolute or relative? Is there anything beyond science, philosophy and religion? Many of the world’s top quantum physicists think there is. Celebrate life by stretching you imagination. Articles by Tupelo

]]> http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/06/27/beyond-the-brands-of-truth/feed/ 0 http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/05/09/refocus-on-your-true-passions/ http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/05/09/refocus-on-your-true-passions/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 12:00:34 +0000 Tupelo http://www.tupelokenyon.com/?p=112 For instrumental music while reading, choose: hi-fi (broadband) or low-fi.

It’s easy to get sidetracked. Our busy lives pull us in a thousand different directions. How can we stay on track?

Can we balance all the things that must be done, and should be done, with the things that mean the most to us?

Is there a way to make sure our true passions are not forever relegated to the bottom of our “to do” list?

Be with Your Passions

Passions have a way of shriveling up and blowing away when ignored. It’s the principle of “out of mind and out of sight.” This is what happens when your passions are put on the back burner, day after day and year after year.

“Absence abates a moderate passion and intensifies a great one- as the wind blows out a candle but fans fire into flame.” – François Duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-80)

When the trivial details of daily life are consistently given preferential treatment, that becomes the primary focus of your life – a life built around trivial details. Do you get them all done? Maybe. Do you feel satisfied and inspired by prioritizing them? Probably not.

“‘Know thyself,’ said the old philosopher, ‘improve thyself,’ saith the new. Our great object in time is not to waste our passions and gifts on the things external that we must leave behind, but that we cultivate within us all that we can carry into the eternal progress beyond.” – Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803 – 1873)

It’s possible to attend to the details of life, and still make room for your passions. It’s a matter of attention. Allow room in your consciousness for the things stirring deep within you – your passions.

In your quiet moments, dwell upon them. Be with them mentally and emotionally. When they are deliberately included in the fabric of your life, opportunities present themselves that allow you to integrate your passions into your daily life. With practice, you will recognize these opportunities and serendipities because of your habit of regularly including your passions in your deep mental and emotional reality.

On the other hand, if your habit is to think about your passions only occasionally and briefly, before putting them back in your mental “later” file, the same opportunities and serendipities can easily go unnoticed.

Before your outer life can be a reflection of your true passions, your inner life has to be in alignment with them. If you ignore the true calling of soul, reflected by your passions, your life can turn out to be an exercise in “if only” and “what if.” The way to avoid a life of regret is to first recognize whether or not you have developed the habit of ignoring your true passions. If you have, this usually leads to an unfulfilled life.

So pay attention to your passions now, and continually incorporate them into your day-to-day life by energizing them with your attention, thoughts and emotions.

“As life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time, at peril of being judged not to have lived.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935)

Go Deeper

What if you go through this process of externalizing a passion and integrating it into your life, only to discover that it does not satisfy you? Your interaction may leave you feeling flat and unfulfilled. How can that be?

The problem may be you need to dig a little deeper.

What you had identified as a passion may not be a true passion bubbling up from the depths of your being. It could be any number of things, but most likely, it’s born of ego, and may be ego driven. It could be the product of the “little me” in your head, rather than the irresistible impulse of the universe itself seeking expression through the unique combination of skills, talents and interests you bring to the recipe of co-creation.

“It’s the soul’s duty to be loyal to its own desires. It must abandon itself to its master passion.” – Rebecca West (1892 – 1983)

Embracing Change

When drive is mistaken for passion and situations change, it’s easy to throw up your hands in resignation and give up. When you are inspired from the inside out by true passions, your outer activities bend gracefully with the winds of change. The outer manifestations of your true passions morph, as needed, to best reflect the inevitable changing circumstances. New circumstances require new approaches, and when you are in alignment with your passions, it will become apparent how to best maximize the potential of each new circumstance.

Your Passions Make You Unique

Fundamental passions come from the core of your being. As you become accustomed to living your life in alignment with them, you become less and less like everyone else and more and more who you really are. As your outer life becomes in closer alignment with your true passions, you grow into the unique individual that you are.

“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” – Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900)

The Ego-Driven Give Up Fast
Passion-Driven People Last

A passion-driven life does not come to an abrupt halt by a roadblock. Instead, from the inner place of stillness where you have invited passion to reside, an idea for the perfect detour springs forth. The detour itself could very well turn out to be a serendipity, bearing gifts and benefits that would otherwise never have manifested. It’s all a matter of attitude. The determined, yet gentle resolve that comes when you’re committed to living in alignment with true purpose, is fueled by your deepest passions.

“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919)

Let Go of Resistance

Situations change. Perhaps the only constant in the universe is change. Change happens. It makes no sense to resist it. It does make sense to learn to roll with it gracefully and delight in new experiences and opportunities made possible by our ever-changing circumstances.

When situations change, we have a choice. We can become upset and resist the change. This approach wastes precious energy in complaining and blaming. Or, we can accept it as it is, settle our attention deeply inside, and become receptive to the next appropriate action based upon the new situation.

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” – Unknown

When we focus our attention on this present moment and allow our true passions to be on-going companions, outer changes are not the enemy. Whatever happens, regardless of the mental labels of “good” or “bad” we give it . . . this too shall pass.

From the depth of stillness will come the impulse for the appropriate course of action now. This new urge for a specific action takes into consideration the most recent outer changes and your commitment to the deepest nudges from your inner reality. These nudges, rooted in true passions, represent your north star . . . you can trust them, and you can steer your life by them. (To help clearly define exactly what your passions are, see previous articles, “Your Passion as Your Compass” and “10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose.”)

When your outer activities are in the flow and inspired by your passions, your life becomes a work of art – an original expression of the teamwork between you and the universe itself.

“Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.” – Georg Wilhelm

“The worst sin – perhaps the only sin – passion can commit, is to be joyless.” – Dorothy L. Sayers (1893 – 1957)

“The more passions and desires one has, the more ways one has of being happy.” – Charlotte-Catherine

The Grandest You and Your Deepest Passions

In the stillness of your personal quiet times, re-connect with your passions. Revisit the stirrings of soul and refocus on what is genuinely important to you . . . not the “little you” – the ego, but the grand, bright and shining YOU – the one-of-a-kind embodiment of all-that-is, born into this world with a unique set of talents and tools to enable you to do what nobody else can in the entire world.

What is that? That is your true passion.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Miracle in Disguise Synchronicity is such a positive and hopeful idea, it begs the question, "Why not actively look for it and even expect it, as long as it feels good?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor11 Time of Our Lives Time is so fleeting, so elusive, it’s good to remember the importance and power of living right now. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor7 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Celebrate Life Create your own personal celebration of life by your choices, rather than allowing life to be something that merely happens to you, or around you. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor2 Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Live From Your Heart We all come from a long, long, long line of love. And our lives are enhanced exponentially when we interact with one another as if that mattered. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor13 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Songs by Tupelo
Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! 10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. Persistence and Perseverance for Winners – Losers Just Quit Giving up is easy. Most people make a habit of giving up. In fact, they make a life of it Persistence through a solution-oriented attitude is for visionaries, dreamers and other winners who refuse to take “no” for a final answer. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Ego or Soul? Who’s Driving Even though I identify my sense of self with soul, there seems to be another “something” inside forever jockeying for position and making its presence known. This is the ego. What’s the difference? How can you know which one is in charge? What are their characteristics? Since I prefer peace to mayhem and contentment to perpetual, blind striving, my goal is to keep soul in the driver’s seat as often as possible. Instead of an either/or situation, I like the idea of soul and ego peacefully coexisting in a manner that best serves the greater good. Enhance Your Self-Image on Purpose Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. How to Live the Life of Your Dreams Through Intuition Intuition feels good. That should be enough of a clue it’s something that can be trusted. But, our culture has done a thorough job of instilling doubt about the wisdom of following our instincts. Instead, we are taught to think things through and be logical. These mental tools are important, but they were never intended to be used instead of intuition. They work better when used in conjunction with intuition. If we are open to it, we get nudges and insights to move us in the direction of our greatest joys, our most valuable contributions, and our most satisfying life. Those quiet whispers and gentle taps on the shoulder are examples of inner guidance in action – intuition. Know Thyself – Ignore Comparisons and Be Yourself The average person is content to base self-knowledge on comparisons to other people. If this is the measure of self-knowledge, it is based on someone else’s standards. This practice misses the point of “Know Thyself.” Instead, it’s all about how to fit in. We are all unique individuals with our own strengths, talents and nudges leading us to embrace our own best life. True knowledge of self is attained from personal insights of looking inwardly rather than outwardly towards others. Articles by Tupelo

]]> http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/05/09/refocus-on-your-true-passions/feed/ 0 http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/04/18/directed-thinking-vs-compulsive-thinking/ http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/04/18/directed-thinking-vs-compulsive-thinking/#comments Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:56:50 +0000 Tupelo http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/04/18/directed-thinking-vs-compulsive-thinking/ For instrumental music while reading, choose: hi-fi (broadband) or low-fi.

Do you have to think, or do you think to have?

Thinking should be optional. Compulsory thinking is all too common. If your thoughts are non-stop, you are not thinking. Instead, your thoughts are having their way with you.

Your life is an effect of the thoughts that receive the most attention. If the thought process runs incessantly, willy-nilly, it’s easy to feel lost in the physical world, and life feels like something that just happens to you.

When you choose thoughts on purpose and concentrate your attention on those, your life is one of your own choosing, deliberately and strategically created, one thought at a time.

“Strategy is a style of thinking, a conscious and deliberate process, an intensive implementation system, the science of insuring future success.” – Pete Johnson

Unforeseen Benefits of Disciplined Thinking

Do you remember sitting in those uncomfortable desks at school, bored with what was being taught, and wondering how you’d ever use it in the real world? I studied mathematics for a couple of years in college. It came easy for me, but I remember marveling at how I was learning an entirely new language comprised of numbers, symbols and other odd characters that only other mathematicians would recognize or understand.

What was I going to do with all that gobbeldy-gook? Become a teacher? I could have taught it to other students who would also wonder about its practical value in their lives. I know calculus is handy for determining space travel trajectories and geometry is handy for carpentry, but beyond that, much of what I was learning left me feeling, “Cool, so what?”

To balance my checkbook, I really don’t access the theorems of calculus or the formulas of analytical geometry – although I was fascinated to learn a little about sacred geometry. (If you are interested in exploring it more, I wrote a short review of a fascinating book called “Nothing in the Book is True, But It’s Exactly How Things Are” by Bob Frissell. Here’s a link to my Recommended Books page.)

I was able to use trigonometry once to build a cabin in Alaska. It’s base was 23′ square, it was 17′ tall, and was built with the exact same angles and ratios as the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt. I used trig tables for sine, cosine and tangent, but that’s the only time that strange language of advanced mathematics ever intersected my daily life.

Along with a few helpful ideas, I also learned lots of extraneous details in school. Still, the mental training I received and the discipline I learned studying mathematics has helped me every single day in many unforeseen ways.

“Thoughts are energy. And you can make your world or break your world by thinking.” – Susan S. Taylor

Directed Thinking

I learned to think deliberately. I learned how to steer my thoughts and follow-through from A to B, B to C, C to D, and so on. It takes focus, concentration and one-pointed awareness sustained over a period of time. It’s about having an attention span that’s long enough to accomplish complicated tasks.

I took it for granted and assumed everyone thinks this way. In time, I discovered that many of the people I met simply don’t have the mental chops. They have the potential, but instead of deliberate mental training and exercise, many are content with the ever-shortening attention span that results from a steady diet of quick sound bites and the overwhelming video barrage so common on TV. Use it or lose it, and it looks like functional attention spans are lost to many.

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it.” – Henry Ford (1863-1947)

“Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-68)

This skill of directed thinking comes in handy in many of my everyday activities, like writing this article, writing a song, learning to play an instrument, producing a CD or DVD, creating a website, building a house or a studio, or just talking with a friend and logically trouble-shooting a technical problem. In retrospect, I consider this ability of directed thinking to be one of the most valuable skills I have to show for all those years in school. And, it’s a major contributing factor to the ongoing creation of the life of my dreams.

“The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it’s a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free.” – Charles R. Swindoll

“Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things.” – Eric Butterworth

I Am Thinking – I Am Not the Thoughts

Since I learned early how to pick and choose my thoughts and follow through with a deliberate train of thought, I realized a valuable spiritual principle: Thoughts are transitory – they come and they go. If I am choosing thoughts on purpose, my sense of self, my identity, is beyond the realm of thoughts. “Who I am” is the thinker of the thoughts – the watcher.

“Who is the watcher, who sits in the stillness and knows,
And who is the looker, who notices the king wears no clothes.
Who is the seer, who sees beyond the mind,
And who is the seeker, who’ll find the grand design.”
(From the song, “Who is the Watcher” by Tupelo Kenyon)

Beyond Thought

Spiritual awareness (aka religious experience) is all about going beyond the mind into the realm of pure being. Disciplines and rituals from all cultures through the ages have been used to help take the practitioner beyond the mental realm of thoughts, words and identification with physical things.

“Thinking, understanding, reasoning, willing, call not these Soul! They are its actions, but they are not its essence.” – Akhenaton – Egyptian king (d. c.1354 BC)

Meditation helps to identify and then identify with the being behind the thoughts. Prayer beads, mantras, mandalas and zen koans are all used to transcend the chatter of the typical undisciplined mind. Musicians concentrate on melodies or musical passages, a process which stops the internal string of words which are otherwise forever playing in the mind.

Awareness grows only when the internal dialog is slowed and eventually stopped. Even when the parade of thoughts is curtailed only for brief moments, the awareness of “I am” has a chance to shine through like the sun breaking through the clouds. (See previous article, “Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion.)

Thinking on Purpose

Once you no longer identify yourself with the stream of thoughts that once dominated your life, you are free to use thoughts deliberately, on purpose, as a tool to help you manifest chosen outcomes. Instead of being blown all over the mental map by every thought that presents itself, you are able to be a thought wrangler.

You can keep them under control, manageable, and keep your life heading in the general direction you choose. When you notice a stray thought going off in another direction, you can redirect it to better support your vision, or you can choose to ignore it altogether and replace it with another thought.

This ability to think deliberately, on purpose, is directly related to your quality of life. Since the Law of Attraction is continuously bringing you the balance of your thoughts, what could be more important than learning to create the life of your dreams, on purpose, by thinking deliberately?

“Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities.” – Terry Josephson

Whenever you notice a thought taking you away from your chosen direction, immediately replace it with another that feels better. Your emotions will let you know if a particular thought is working for you or against you. If you feel good, your present thoughts are now helping to manifest the outcome you choose. If you feel bad, your present thoughts are now taking you away from the outcome you choose. (See previous article, “The Law of Attraction.”)

“Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.” – Dr. Jonas Salk (b. 1914)

A Tool or a Prison

Your thoughts and the realm of thinking can be a powerful tool if it is recognized as such and used from the broader perspective of who you really are: awareness, consciousness, pure being. Or your thoughts and the realm of thinking can be a prison keeping you in an illusory world of words and things, mental constructs and objects of the senses.

“Awareness is not the same as thought. It lies beyond thinking, although it makes no use of thinking, honoring it’s value and it’s power. Awareness is more like a vessel which can hold and contain our thinking, helping us to see and know our thought as thought rather than getting caught up in them as reality.” – Jon Kabit-Zinn

This world of matter is a marvelous place, an incredible opportunity to experience the grandeur of the universe from within the universe. But, by all indications, we are just passing through.

We emerge from the stillness, the vast sea of emptiness. Compared to eternity, a lifetime is a brief moment, the wink of an eye, and then we return from whence we came. Where is that? Where is eternity? Where is the vast sea of emptiness? Is it everywhere? Is it nowhere? Here’s some interesting wordplay inspired by something Dr. Wayne Dyer said in his live presentation of “The Power of Intention” . . .

First we are nowhere.
Now here.
Then nowhere again.

Nowhere.
Now here.
Nowhere.

From this broader perspective, it’s folly to identify with the physical world or any of its attributes, including thinking.

“Just like an afternoon that disappears too soon,
Another summer’s day that fades away.
See how it marches on, another year is gone,
No time to dwell upon our fleeting fate.

“How can we wait again another day,
Now that we know how fast they always slip away.
Our little world’s our emphasis, this life is a parenthesis,
A heartbeat in eternity’s highway.”
(From the song, “A Heartbeat in Eternity’s Highway” by Tupelo Kenyon.)

Why not choose the best of both worlds? We are here now, in this world to enjoy and appreciate all that it has to offer. But, we are not of it – we’re just passing through.

The Unified Field That Contains Everything

In a live retreat, I heard Eckheart Tolle say the measure of spiritual maturity is how well you are able to transcend thought. I am paraphrasing, but my sense of his message is that there’s an infinite realm of being that exists as a colossal field. Everything else is included in that field. This is the same unified field that Einstein was trying to reconcile mathematically in the later years of his life. Perhaps “who we really are” is the field itself.

“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest–a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” – Albert Einstein (1875-1955)

As we live our physical lives, we are individual manifestations of the awareness of the universe, beyond thought, beyond things, beyond phenomenon. We are the silent watcher who sits in the stillness and knows.

“The evolution of consciousness culminates in an all-inclusive consciousness that functions in the context of the infinite and the eternal.” – Phiroz Mehta

When we know that to be true, we are free of the incessant chatter of our internal dialog – our thoughts. The jumping monkey mind still performs its histrionics but we no longer identify with it. It’s not who we are – it’s a tool to be tamed and used purposefully.

We can still think – clearly, deliberately and powerfully whenever we choose.

But we don’t have to!

Thoughts are one of the most powerful forces in the universe. But it’s not who we are. We are much more than that . . . more powerful and much grander than our thoughts can imagine.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Who is the Watcher Explores the silent witness within and the idea that life occurs in this present moment. Always. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor-14 A Heartbeat in Eternity’s Highway In the grand scheme of things, what’s the difference between a single moment and all of eternity? What’s the point of reference? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor17 It’ll Be All Right Now It’s one thing to understand intellectually that the thoughts we think mold our experience, and another thing to live every moment as if it really is a basic law of nature. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor10 Soul in the Stars It feels good to try to see the bigger picture once in awhile,and to focus on gratitude for what we have, rather than the frustration of what we are lacking. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor4 Here A love song to the beloved and/or to the larger part of ourselves. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor16 Within Without An atom and a solar system is virtually the same thing – mostly empty space! Even quantum physics is still wondering, "Is the universe a great big thing, or a great big thought?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor6 Same Olde Time Time – it’s so relative. "What if distant starlight shining in the endless sky is just the same, by a different name, as the twinkle in your eye?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor7 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Songs by Tupelo
Get a Broader Perspective – Do It Different and Work Smarter When I think of the view from our broader perspective, to me, it means the viewpoint of our inner self . . . who we really are. Without the filters of our ego, the world looks quite different. The problem is . . . this lofty viewpoint seems illusive. People occasionally identify with broader perspective with no apparent effort or intent, but it’s rare to arrive at such a viewpoint accidentally. More commonly, brief glimpses are caught deliberately by intent, and repeated by personal discipline and the use of clever techniques. Know Thyself – Ignore Comparisons and Be Yourself The average person is content to base self-knowledge on comparisons to other people. If this is the measure of self-knowledge, it is based on someone else’s standards. This practice misses the point of “Know Thyself.” Instead, it’s all about how to fit in. We are all unique individuals with our own strengths, talents and nudges leading us to embrace our own best life. True knowledge of self is attained from personal insights of looking inwardly rather than outwardly towards others. Appreciate Here and Now No matter what’s going on in your life right now, there’s something to appreciate about it. The act of appreciation rivets our consciousness to this present moment. With our attention focused on the here and now, we are living life fully, since right now is the only time there ever is. How to Live the Life of Your Dreams Through Intuition Intuition feels good. That should be enough of a clue it’s something that can be trusted. But, our culture has done a thorough job of instilling doubt about the wisdom of following our instincts. Instead, we are taught to think things through and be logical. These mental tools are important, but they were never intended to be used instead of intuition. They work better when used in conjunction with intuition. If we are open to it, we get nudges and insights to move us in the direction of our greatest joys, our most valuable contributions, and our most satisfying life. Those quiet whispers and gentle taps on the shoulder are examples of inner guidance in action – intuition. Enhance Your Self-Image on Purpose Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Ego or Soul? Who’s Driving Even though I identify my sense of self with soul, there seems to be another “something” inside forever jockeying for position and making its presence known. This is the ego. What’s the difference? How can you know which one is in charge? What are their characteristics? Since I prefer peace to mayhem and contentment to perpetual, blind striving, my goal is to keep soul in the driver’s seat as often as possible. Instead of an either/or situation, I like the idea of soul and ego peacefully coexisting in a manner that best serves the greater good. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. The Law of Attraction With anything as important as the law of attraction, it’s a good idea to hear it described many times from many different angles. This article looks at it from several viewpoints as well as revealing how to get the understanding of the law of attraction from the prime source. Many links are provided including links to streaming mp3 songs that incorporate the principles of attraction in the lyrics. Celebrate life with an ever-clearer grasp of how the law of attraction determines your life experience. Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion Is truth absolute or relative? Is there anything beyond science, philosophy and religion? Many of the world’s top quantum physicists think there is. Celebrate life by stretching you imagination. Articles by Tupelo

]]> http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/04/18/directed-thinking-vs-compulsive-thinking/feed/ 0 http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/03/21/know-thyself-%e2%80%93-ignore-comparisons-and-be-yourself/ http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/03/21/know-thyself-%e2%80%93-ignore-comparisons-and-be-yourself/#comments Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:00:38 +0000 Tupelo http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/03/21/know-thyself-%e2%80%93-ignore-comparisons-and-be-yourself/ For instrumental music while reading, choose: hi-fi (broadband) or low-fi.

This profound quote, “Know Thyself,” is attributed to at least six ancient Greek sages, including Socrates and Pythagoras. It was inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi – according to the Greek writer Pausanias. At least a few of the ancients knew the importance of self-knowledge and self-awareness.

Then, as now, the average person is content to base self-knowledge on comparisons to other people. If this is the measure of self-knowledge, it is based on someone else’s standards. This practice misses the point of “Know Thyself.” Instead, it’s all about how to fit in.

“The creative individual has the capacity to free himself from the web of social pressures in which the rest of us are caught. He is capable of questioning the assumptions that the rest of us accept.” – John W. Gardner (b. 1912) – President, Carnegie Foundation

Socially Conditioned to Accept Comparisons

Comparisons are inevitable. They are a fact of life. We are compared to our siblings the moment we are born and compared to other children even before we understand the concept. We are compared to other students in school and graded accordingly. Then we are compared to our peers throughout our careers.

The trick is to recognize the majority of people have always used the yardstick of comparison to define their own sense of self-knowledge. Unfortunately, this same yardstick is also used to measure self-worth and even self-love. The secret of true self-knowledge is the realization that comes when all comparisons are ignored. True knowledge of self is attained from personal insights of looking inwardly rather than outwardly towards others.

“Total self-esteem requires total and unconditional acceptance of yourself. You are a unique and worthy individual, regardless of your mistakes, defeats and failures, despite what others may think, say or feel about you or your behavior. If you truly accept and love yourself, you won’t have a driving need for attention and approval. Self-esteem is a genuine love of self. Stop all adverse value judging of yourself. Stop accepting the adverse value judgments of others. Purge yourself of all condemnation, shame, blame, guilt and remorse.” – Unknown

Find Your Own Inner Genius

In school, we were conditioned to the idea of comparison by the grading system known as the bell curve. This system ignores the fact that we are all unique individuals with different strengths and different ways of learning to access our own inner genius.

“Education must provide the opportunities for self-fulfillment; it can at best provide a rich and challenging environment for the individual to explore, in his own way.” – Noam Chomsky (b. 1928)

A Swiss psychiatrist, Jean Piaget, made an important discovery about how students learn. In his research, today’s accepted standard teaching method of lecturing and testing produced the typical results of the standard bell curve. About 66% of the students achieved average results (C grades). About 12% were above average (B grades) and about 12% were below average (D grades). About 3% got A grades and about 3% got F grades. About 2% achieved results that could be considered in the genius range and 2% exhibited no retention whatsoever. (If drawn in a graph, these results would resemble the shape of a bell, which is why it became known as the bell curve.)

The surprise came when the method of instruction was changed. No matter which teaching method was used – drawings, small group discussions, video, reading, etc. – the bell curve remained the same, with similar percentages in each area. But with each method of instruction, there were new heroes and new zeros, and the individuals were redistributed in the average areas. These results can be interpreted to mean that we all have our own unique genius within, waiting to be awakened by the method or methods that best interface with our individuality.

“The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursing his own education. This will not be a widely shared pursuit until we get over our odd conviction that education is what goes on in school buildings and nowhere else.” – John W. Gardner (b. 1912) – President, Carnegie Foundation

Most people never discover their own inner genius because they are conditioned to accept the comparison method as the last word. Imagine the individuals in the smallest percentage of the bell curve – the ones who just don’t get it by hearing a lecture. Perhaps they are just as intelligent, just as interested and just as capable as the people at the other end of the bell, but they’re simply not auditory learners. They may be visual learners or they may learn best by a more tactile, hands-on approach. With this dramatically different way of teaching and learning, they may be at the other end of the bell curve. The comparison system could just as easily label these same people geniuses simply by changing the way the very same material is presented.

“If you treat an individual … as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

If we were taught to “Know Thyself” instead of “know where you fit on the curve related to other people learning a specific subject via one specific teaching method,” what a difference it could make in our quality of life. Our own self-exploration would reveal our own strengths and affinities as well as which methods work best, based on our individuality.

“Brilliance is typically the act of an individual, but incredible stupidity can usually be traced to an organization.” – Jon Bentley

If our educational system taught “Know Thyself,” we would be more eager to discover our own areas of genius and be less inclined to accept the judgment of others. We would be better able to recognize brilliant self-awareness in others and could more easily avoid those who are enmeshed in the limiting comparison method of self-knowledge and self-worth.

“The invention of IQ did a great disservice to creativity in education . . . Individuality, personality, originality, are too precious to be meddled with by amateur psychiatrists whose patterns for a ‘wholesome personality’ are inevitably their own.” – Joel H. Hildebrand – Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley

Educate Thyself

Education, self-realization and enlightenment are all things that happen to one person at a time. Each person has a unique approach and a unique experience. Don’t make the mistake of trading your precious individuality for membership in the club of the masses.

“Man as an individual is a genius. But men in the mass form the Headless Monster, a great, brutish idiot that goes where prodded.” – Sir Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)

Don’t lean on the crutch of outward opinions, methods of the moment, or current social trends for your sense of worth.

“Never violate the sacredness of your individual self-respect.” – Theodore Parker (1810-60)

Education is incredibly valuable because so many of life’s gifts depend upon it, but remember the best kind of education is self-education where the approach is custom tailored to the strengths and affinities of the individual. Education, like self-realization, is an inside job. For maximum efficiency and personal satisfaction, it all begins with “Know Thyself.”

Social Education is Better than No Education . . . BUT . . .

The educational system of our modern culture is always changing and lagging behind the leading-edge thinkers. It’s better than nothing, but if the system itself could be personified, given a truth serum, and asked to describe itself, it would have to say something like this . . .

“You are in the process of being indoctrinated. We have not yet evolved a system of education that is not a system of indoctrination. We are sorry, but it is the best we can do. What you are being taught here is an amalgam of current prejudice and the choices of this particular culture. The slightest look at history will show how impermanent these must be. You are being taught by people who have been able to accommodate themselves to a regime of thought laid down by their predecessors. It is a self-perpetuating system. Those of you who are more robust and individual than others, will be encouraged to leave and find ways of educating yourself . . . educating your own judgment. Those that stay must remember, always and all the time, that they are being molded and patterned to fit into the narrow and particular needs of this society.” – Doris Lessing

Know Thyself Deeper

“Know Thyself” is such a powerful phrase because it can inspire a lifetime of revelations as we discover ever-deepening layers of ourselves. This article has focused on an important, but relatively superficial, layer of self-knowledge revealed by contemplation on the phrase, “Know Thyself.” It leads quite naturally to these age-old questions: “Who am I?” . . . and “Why am I here? . . . and “What does it all mean?”

These are the questions that matter most, so the most satisfying answers cannot be found in comparisons with others but from deep inside ourselves.

We are all unique individuals with our own strengths, talents and nudges leading us to embrace our own best life. Of course, that’s an ever-changing, moving target that grows and evolves with our own expansion of consciousness and deepening self-knowledge. There’s always another step to take, and one of the best clues when deciding the direction of the next step is to revisit the ancient Greek’s profound directive, “Know Thyself.”

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the song samples below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Don’t Tell Me No Just don’t do it. It’s better that way . . . for both of us! http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor3 Who is the Watcher Explores the silent witness within and the idea that life occurs in this present moment. Always. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor-14 Story Belt Celebrates the importance of keeping things in perspective while being a part of the bigger picture. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor8 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Love is Who You Are – Live Version "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHTu.html#Anchor19 Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun Nothing to do? How about too much to do? Our attitude seems to make the difference. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor16 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Songs by Tupelo
Self-Discipline in 3 Easy Steps Why is it so difficult to follow through and accomplish what you set out to do? Usually, there is one important missing ingredient: personal discipline. For most of us, the idea of discipline is an external force – it’s something that comes from the outside. For instance, we discipline our children. Most of us are familiar with discipline as a verb (something we do to someone else), but we’re not so familiar with the concept as a noun – something we cultivate from within and apply to ourselves. Six Killers of Individuality and Personal Independence Is the course of your life determined by your own internal road map or by a map made by someone else? Each of us can choose our direction deliberately and live a life custom sculpted. Each life can be as individually unique as the person living it. If you pattern your life after someone else, exactly what is it you have to offer? Enhance Your Self-Image on Purpose Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Choose Excellence and Lose Mediocrity What if you knew that a life of excellence was lurking right around the corner, if you would only prioritize your moments in such a way so that you could recognize it. Take an objective look at the various activities of your life. Get inspired to lose the mediocre to make room for something better. Methods as Temporary Tools Instead of Lifetime Crutches We are obsessed with our methods. We become attached to our particular way of doing things. The trouble comes when we cling to an old method that we have outgrown. We feel bogged down and then stuck when our personal development potential is being limited by an outdated method. If your method feels more like a crutch than a tool, it’s time to take an objective look at it. Is the method in question bringing you peace and joy? Is it helping your personal growth, or is it just a familiar and comfortable habit of thought? Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. 10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! Articles by Tupelo

]]> http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/03/21/know-thyself-%e2%80%93-ignore-comparisons-and-be-yourself/feed/ 3 http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/02/01/six-killers-of-individuality-and-personal-independence/ http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/02/01/six-killers-of-individuality-and-personal-independence/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:00:22 +0000 Tupelo http://www.tupelokenyon.com/2008/02/01/six-killers-of-individuality-and-personal-independence/ For instrumental music while reading, choose: hi-fi (broadband) or low-fi.

Is the course of your life determined by your own internal road map or by a map made by someone else?

Each of us can choose our direction deliberately and live a life custom sculpted. Each life can be as individually unique as the person living it. If you pattern your life after someone else, exactly what is it you have to offer?

Following the herd has always been humanity’s default behavior. The idea of strength in numbers provides a feeling of belonging and a false sense of security. But if you look at the people who stand out in history, it’s not the faceless and fearful members of the flock who we remember, but the bold and adventurous.

“It is a blessed thing that in every age someone has had the individuality enough and courage enough to stand by his own convictions.” – Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-99)

The Inspiring I-Think-I-Canners

These rugged individualists of the past often had a difficult time walking their own path. Speaking their mind and following their own internal guidance system put them at odds with the establishment of their day. For example, Galileo was under house arrest for many years for speaking out against the accepted knowledge of his day – even though he was right. Socrates was condemned to drink poison hemlock because his ideas didn’t support the officially sanctioned train of thought.

Still, these men and many others stuck to their own ideals, determined to live their lives their way, rather than adopt the common way prescribed by those in power. There have been millions and billions through the ages who fade into the background blur of the masses, and we remember very few of them.

The rugged individualists stand out from the crowd, inspiring us with their daring spirit and strong resolve to live their lives from the inside out. They based their lives on the whisperings of their hearts – the internal guidance system that steered them into a life of inspiration. That decision to follow their own path made all the difference for them, as well as for those of us inspired by their example.

“The essence of independence has been to think and act according to standards from within, not without. Inevitably anyone with an independent mind must become ‘one who resists or opposes authority or established conventions’: a rebel. If enough people come to agree with, and follow, the Rebel, we now have a Devil. Until, of course, still more people agree. And then, finally, we have — Greatness.” – Aleister Crowley (1875 – 1947)

It’s Never Been Easier

Think about past eras of humanity and how an individual’s life was predetermined by the expectations of others. If you were born poor, like the vast majority, you likely followed in your parents’ footsteps and remained poor. If you were one of the privileged few born into royalty, you were expected to stay there, even if you had a totally different song in your heart.

The caste system held everyone firmly in its grasp, and precious few dared to cross those invisible lines. Did your daddy build furniture? Then you were expected to become a carpenter too. Did your mama spin and weave? Then you were expected to do the same.

These days, there is still some expectation to follow in the footsteps of your ancestors, but there is also a new freedom, undreamed of only a few generations ago.

We are finally free to choose our own way, our own profession, our own life. What an amazing development in the evolution of humanity!

“True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 – 1945)

Instead of allowing outer circumstances to dictate the direction of our life, we are free to look within and get in alignment with our deepest passions and biggest dreams. Many take this privilege for granted, not realizing what a valuable gift it is. Instead of blossoming into the fullest version of their unique self, they continue to amble along with the herd, doing things like everybody else because . . . well, because that’s what everybody else is doing. (Moooo.)

The Six Killers of Who You Really Are

1. “May” – This idea indicates self-doubt and lack of confidence in one’s own ability to choose. When used as a question as in, “May I do this, that or the other?” – it indicates a need to seek permission rather than to rely on your own sense of what is right, necessary and true. When used in a statement as in, “I may do this, that or the other.” – it indicates indecisiveness, a wishy-washy approach to life. A decisive individual, trusting their own course embraces their chosen direction with resolve and gusto. There is no room for “may.”

2. “Might” – This word is often used in the same way as “may” as in “I might do this, that or the other.” It is also used to express what might have been. This is a total waste of mental energy. What’s in the past is done. Its time has come and gone. As long as it is remembered, it will always be just as it was. No amount of thinking “what might have been” has the power to change even one tiny detail. There is nothing to be gained by reliving the past over and over in the imagination, fantasizing a different outcome. Instead of squandering this precious, present moment on thoughts of what might have been, a strong, independent individual will make a mental note of where improvements could be made whenever a similar situation presents itself, and then gets on with living life here and now – in this present moment.

3. and 4. “Could” and “Would” – These words (and the thoughts behind them) are often used as excuses as in, “I would if I could.” This attitude reflects lack of resolve and lack of self-confidence. The ancient Roman, Virgil, said, “Fortune favors the bold,” and the habit of surrounding oneself with “could” and “would” is anything but bold. Instead it indicates a timid, retiring and weak approach to life. That’s a good description of the herd instinct, following the crowd, the lemming approach to life. These words are also used to seek permission as in, “Would it be okay to . . .” or “Could I do this, that or the other?” A bold individualist simply states his or her intentions and asks if anyone cares to join in. Simple. Direct. To the point.

5. and 6. “Should” and “Must” – Should is often used in the same vein as “might have been” to express remorse about some past experience, fantasized with a different outcome. Again, after noticing the desire for a different way of handling a similar situation in the future, it’s a waste of valuable energy to dwell upon “shoulds.” The idea of should and must is often a reflection of the expectations of others. These are the things you do that are not inspired from your deepest self, but you do them anyway so that you don’t disappoint others. Living your life according to “should” and “must” is a way of orchestrating the details of your life according to your perception of the expectations of others. Of course this is merely your perception, which may be accurate or may be completely different from their real expectations. Either way, you are ignoring your own internal guidance system and steering the ship of your life according to external landmarks. Living this way in this new era of personal freedom is a shame. Living according to the expectations of others is the way of life of our ancient ancestors, mired down in the archaic caste system. It is an incredible gift to have the opportunity now to live a unique life, inspired by our own internal guidance system rather than according to our often skewed perception of the expectation of others.

“Then I found myself knockin’ at the pearly gates,
But nobody’d answer the door.
So I looked around and then I climbed the wall,
Just to look around a little more.
Then a fellow with a beard says ‘Hey, what’s your story?’
I think he said his name was Pete.
I said, ‘I shoulda done better, I coulda done better,
If I’da known this place was so neat.’
And Pete said, ‘Shoulda-coulda-woulda won’t get it up here,
But just lookin’ ain’t no sin.’
So I said, ‘Hey Pete, could you help me out?’
He said, ‘Sure, which way’d you come in?
I’d really love to help you out, which way’s you come in?’”
- from the song, “Love to Help You Out” by Tupelo Kenyon

Embrace the Gift of Individuality

So, the six killers of individuality and personal independence are: may, might, could, would, should and must. Basing your life experience on the ideas and limitations represented by these six words indicates personal weakness and fear of taking control of your own life. It shows a serious lack of self-confidence. Instead it reflects your willingness to surrender your personal power and destiny to someone else, letting them make the important decisions on your behalf.

If free will, individuality and personal independence are gifts from God, a preference for the herd instinct is like throwing them back in Her face.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as far as fair,
And perhaps having the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Rejoicing in the Diversity

We can each choose our direction, and the more diverse we become as a result, the better. When we learn to see the beauty and the benefit of contrast, it is no longer a threat to the status quo and the official company line.

Diversity helps us to make better choices. Even when we see someone else’s choice as 180 degrees out of phase with our own choice, it helps us to clarify and focus our own preferences. Let the other person be. Their choice may be different, but that’s okay. They are living their life, not yours.

If your choices and therefore your life was exactly like that of another, one of you would be redundant.

“Dare to be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not and to believe in your own individuality.” – Henri-Frédéric Amiel

Individuality, uniqueness and the freedom to stand out from the crowd is the spice of life. Being different is good. It’s not to be shunned or avoided, but embraced to enhance the grand diversity of the infinite potential of life itself.

“All Fords are exactly alike, but no two men are just alike. Every new life is a new thing under the sun; there has never been anything just like it before, never will be again. A young man ought to get that idea about himself; he should look for the single spark of individuality that makes him different from other folks, and develop that for all he is worth. Society and schools may try to iron it out of him; their tendency is to put it all in the same mold, but I say don’t let that spark be lost; it is your only real claim to importance.” – Henry Ford (1863 – 1947)

Your unique approach to life does not need to be approved or validated by anyone else in order to have unquestionable value for you. Even if everyone else seems to be going the other way, that’s not an indication it’s right for you. In fact, it may be a good clue that another way might be a better choice.

Ignore peer pressure. It is historically dangerous and smothers the seed of greatness struggling for nourishment deep inside. Nurture it and allow it to grow into your best possible life – the one you were born to live.

Follow your heart. Listen to your own internal guidance system. Follow the road not taken. Step away from the herd, and make a difference.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the song samples below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Love to Help You Out A light tongue-in-cheek look at some of the stupidity that passes for normal, or at least average, these days. Still, beneath the mayhem, maybe it’s best to believe there’s a method behind it all . . . if only, "What goes around, comes around." http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHTu.html#Anchor9 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Love is Who You Are "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor1 Celebrate Life Create your own personal celebration of life by your choices, rather than allowing life to be something that merely happens to you, or around you. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor2 Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Just One Step Just begin. If you will just get underway, the project itself gains momentum and carries you along to its completion. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor12 Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun Nothing to do? How about too much to do? Our attitude seems to make the difference. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor16 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Songs by Tupelo
Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! 10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. The Six Mistakes of Man We share the journey, even though each journey is unique. It’s encouraging to know others are also interested in the mysteries of life. It’s inspiring to see others dedicated to living life to the fullest, in spite of the fact that humanity has been making some of the same mistakes for centuries. Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Enhance Your Self-Image on Purpose Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Articles by Tupelo

Whenever a new desire or grand plan is born within us, the tendency is to share it with others. Every time we talk about it, the energy of the dream seems to deflate a little more, until it becomes merely a topic of idle chatter.

Why is that? How can we add to the excitement and urgency of our dreams instead, and speed up their manifestation?

The Two Faces of Reality

All of creation can be divided into two areas: the realm of the seen and the realm of the unseen. In other words, everything we can experience through our five senses is one face of reality. Everything that is beyond the reach of our five senses is the other face of reality. Both realms are equally valid, and they fit together perfectly.

When it comes to manifestation, we are naturally concerned with the things that can be enjoyed through our senses. But where do these things come from?

That is a question for the quantum physicists and the consensus is that particles are not to be congratulated for their own creation. In the grand scheme of creation, according to the current understanding of quantum mechanics, the basic building blocks of physical reality do not spring forth from other particles. Instead, the world experienced through our senses originates from the other face of reality – the one beyond the reach of our senses. This is not a new idea. Our understanding of science is simply allowing us to understand it in new ways.

“The pure impulse of dynamic creation is formless; and being formless, the creation it gives rise to can assume any and every form.” – Kabbalah (BC 1200?-700? AD)

So, how does this idea help us to manifest our dreams more efficiently?

Ego and Spirit

We can think of the two faces of reality as the face of ego and the face of spirit. Ego perpetuates the illusion that it is a separate entity, cut off from all others and cut off from its source. Spirit is one, all-powerful, and the source of all manifestation. (Remember the quantum physicists’ conclusion that particles do not beget particles – instead, they are created from the other side, the side of spirit.)

You Are Identified With Which Side?

As long as we identify ourselves with ego, we cut ourselves off from this infinite power of creativity and manifestation. When we identify ourselves with the other face of reality, the face of spirit, we regain the wondrous gifts of our source. If creativity and manifestation is our goal, it makes sense to reconnect with spirit, the prime source of all creativity and manifestation. It also makes sense to minimize our identification with ego and its self-serving viewpoint and narrow field of reference.

“Instead of identifying yourself as a physical being who occasionally has a spiritual experience, why not identify yourself as a spiritual being now having a physical experience?” – paraphrased from Dr. Wayne Dyer

Why Do We Want to Talk About It?

When a dream is born, ego wants to share it with others. Perhaps this sharing takes the form of bragging, motivated by its longing to feel special for having such big plans and grand ideas. Or, perhaps the ego is looking for validation and agreement from others because of its own insecurities.

But it’s a dead-end street. Here’s why:

As you begin to explain your dream, others ask questions and express doubts that make you feel the need to defend your position. Their questions and their doubts can poison your resolve and give you second thoughts about the viability of your direction.

Your over-willingness to discuss your innermost dreams can be misinterpreted by others as an invitation for advice. In this case, you set yourself up for well intentioned, but misguided opinions about the logic, feasibility and rationality of your dreams, according to them. They may not understand that these dreams originate from the other side of reality, beyond the arena of such limitations as logic and rationality.

It’s important to recognize where such a retaliatory barrage comes from. Is it coming from the sphere of spirit, infusing your dreams with additional creativity and power to help speed up your manifestation? No, it’s coming from the face of ego, cut off from the power of all creation.

Why Do They Rain on Your Parade?

What motivates someone to throw such a wet blanket on your dreams? Are they jealous? Are they afraid you will succeed and excel and make them look bad? Even if their well-intentioned advice really does have your best interests at heart, what good can their ego-based viewpoint possibly do? So it’s best to quit talking about it and just do it.

Expressing Doubts About Your Own Dreams is Even Worse

Before you open your mouth to express doubts about a dream, ask yourself what you expect to accomplish. One of two things can happen:

1) The other person agrees completely and wholeheartedly, snowballing your small, previously insignificant doubt into an avalanche of negativity. This can take you off guard. It’s hard to recover from that. How do you go from back to the excitement of regaining the momentum of your dream?

2) The other person disagrees with you, so you keep talking to clarify your doubts and justify your position. You go on and on trying to make the other person understand why you are justified in doubting your dream. The more you do this, the bigger your doubt becomes until you kill your dream completely.

“Argue for your limitations and they are yours.” – Richard Bach (”Illusions”)

There’s no benefit in either scenario of chatting up your doubts, so it’s best to keep your mouth shut. Do a 180 in your mind and think about all the reasons why your dream will work. Or, put it on the shelf and reach for a bigger, better dream that inspires your excitement, commitment and enthusiasm for enlisting help from the other side of reality.

“Strength in numbers is the delight of the timid. The valiant in spirit glory in fighting alone.” – Gandhi (1869-1948)

An urge to talk about your deepest desires, your grandest dreams, as well as your doubts indicates a personal weakness looking for strength in numbers. The timid rarely reach their dreams. In fact, they usually don’t bother to try. They remain discontent, but mildly appeased as they look around the crowd and notice all the other unfulfilled people. From the vantage point of the ego, living a life of unfulfilled dreams seems normal.

“I’m taking a chance, a confident stance for jumping,
Here I go, who knows where I’ll land.
But I’m tired of all that bad news from the profits of doom,
I’ve noticed that their lives are not exactly in full bloom.

So I’m taking off their blinders, and throwing them away,
There’s so much more to living than the safe and narrow way.
The meek will surely inherit the earth . . .They won’t get very far,
While the bold go for adventure, exploring beyond the stars.

So I’ll encourage inspiration, and I’ll soak it up like a sponge,
Instead of terminal safety, I’m ready to take the plunge.
Instead of dying of caution, I’m living to take the plunge.”
- from the song, “Take the Plunge” by Tupelo Kenyon

Exceptions?

There’s an exception to every rule, and fortunately, some of us are blessed with people in our lives with which we can talk about such important matters. These “soul buddies” understand where we are coming from (or at least from where we are trying to remember to come) and base their responses accordingly.

If you broach the subject of a big important dream or goal, they may be encouraging and supportive or they may simply advise you to shut up about it and just do it.

If you find yourself in an energy vacuum and try to start a bitch and moan session, they might remind you to do an about face and list the positive aspects of your dream instead. Or, they may advise you to simply drop it and find a bigger dream.

If your soul buddy is in tune and tapped in at the moment of your conversation, it’s likely no harm will be done, because they too are learning to identify with the face of spirit. If you forget, it’s great to have someone to remind you. A person like that is invaluable beyond measure. Treasure them.

Rare soul buddies do not apply to most of the ideas in this article. This article is about the average person who is swallowed up in the world of the ego. Don’t give them the opportunity to compromise your dreams and goals born in the realm of spirit. They are not qualified to have a relevant comment, but that won’t stop them from making them anyway.

“He who wishes to exert a useful influence must be careful to insult nothing. Let him not be troubled by what seems absurd, but concentrate his energies to the creation of what is good. He must not demolish, but build. He must raise temples where mankind may come and partake of the purest pleasure.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Your Dreams are Important

From the vantage point of the other face of reality, the face of spirit, you recognize that dreams and desires are born from within you for a purpose. As an individualized manifestation of spirit, you are on the leading edge of creation.

Your experience of embracing your dreams and working through the process toward their manifestation benefits all of life. The presence of the universe itself is becoming more than it was before because of your personal dreams and the process of manifestation. It’s a big job, an important job, being here on the physical side while being identified with the spiritual side. Why not embrace it in joy, marveling at the wonder of it all, and enjoy the experience to the fullest?

“Where there is joy there is creation. Where there is no joy there is no creation: know the nature of joy.” – Maitri Upanishads (c. BC 800-)

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success . . . Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything.” – Nikola Tesla

You don’t need the endorsement of the crowd to pursue your dreams. Keep your own counsel and trust your inner guidance to steer you toward your dreams. Your on-board, personal guidance system has the marvelous habit of steering you toward the people who can help you, while avoiding the rest. (See previous article, “How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance.)

When you keep your dreams to yourself and resist the urge to chat about them, you are “valiant in spirit glory” as described by Gandhi, relying on your own source, spirit, to guide you in the most appropriate way. Nobody but your own inner self knows the most appropriate direction for you. Allow your manifestations in this realm of the senses to be inspired by, and spring forth from the other side – the inexhaustible face of spirit, beyond the reach of the senses.

Inspire Yourself on Purpose

Meditation is helpful. Sit quietly and watch the screen of your mind. Notice your breathing. Allow your busy mind to gradually become quieter, naturally. Listen.

Regardless of what religion or philosophy you subscribe to, you can become still and ask to be shown whatever you need to know. No mumbo jumbo is required – no rituals, no ceremony – only pure intent is required. (See previous articles, “Simple Toning Meditation” and “Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development.”)

Ask your guides, your guardian angels, your guru, savior, favorite saint, or the deepest and purest, wisest part of yourself, who has always been identified with the other side of reality, for contact. Ask them to show you whatever you need to know. Mean it.

And then be still. You are inviting creativity and manifestation from the other side, the side of spirit, into this side of physical reality. Be receptive. Be sincere. Be ready.

When it comes, you will recognize it by the way it makes you feel. However your answer(s) come to you, they will likely sound like music to your ears.

“Music is the harmonious voice of creation; an echo of the invisible world.” – Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-72)

Be Your Own Best Friend

If you need someone to help you sort it all out or just someone to talk to, try talking to yourself by journaling. Write down your thoughts and feelings whenever you feel the need for more clarity.

Your journal won’t try to talk you out of anything or try to “talk some sense into you,” and it won’t ask misguided questions that put you on the spot to defend your position. Journaling gives you the opportunity to communicate with the deeper, wiser, more centered part of yourself. It helps you stay in closer touch with the part of yourself based on the spiritual side of life, and helps you recognize the thoughts, feelings and attitudes that originate from this arena of the senses, this narrower side of life – the land of the ego.

Identifying and recognizing ego-based thoughts is a good step in the right direction toward more efficient manifestation. With this awareness, it’s easier to turn to the other face of creation, the face of spirit, and proceed with the process of manifesting with the confidence, power and creativity of the universe behind you.

Fly with the wind. Float downstream. Let the creative power of all creation, spirit, be the wind beneath your wings and the stream beneath your canoe.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the song samples below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun Nothing to do? How about too much to do? Our attitude seems to make the difference. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor16 Trash Our Treasures People seem to have a history of awarding seemingly insignificant details with places of prominence in our lives, while ignoring or even destroying the most important aspects. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor2 Miracle in Disguise Synchronicity is such a positive and hopeful idea, it begs the question, "Why not actively look for it and even expect it, as long as it feels good?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor11 Angels Around Us Is it your higher self, or your guardian angel, or perhaps an over-active imagination? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor3 Here A love song to the beloved and/or to the larger part of ourselves. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor16 Love is Who You Are – Live Version "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHTu.html#Anchor19 Within Without An atom and a solar system is virtually the same thing – mostly empty space! Even quantum physics is still wondering, "Is the universe a great big thing, or a great big thought?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor6 Songs by Tupelo
How Do You Feel About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. Simple Toning Meditation When it comes to meditation and contemplation, all we really need is a simple technique that produces obvious results. Celebrate life through this easy method of calming the mind and getting in closer touch with your inner being. Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development It’s helpful to have a helping hand once in awhile. I was fortunate to have friends show me how to meditate. It was just friends showing friends something cool . . . because they could. Or maybe it was some kind of big brother / big sister program for the spiritually ripe. It was easy. It was casual. It was a life-changing experience. Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion Is truth absolute or relative? Is there anything beyond science, philosophy and religion? Many of the world’s top quantum physicists think there is. Celebrate life by stretching you imagination. The Dilemma of Desire What is desire? Where does it come from? Why do we have it? Does it serve us in a positive way, or does it distract us and keep us perpetually in discontent? This article sheds some light on these important questions so that each of us can find our own answers. Belief Systems vs. Knowing How do you discern between something known and a habitual thought – a belief? The first step is to recognize that the vast majority of our beliefs are based not upon our own personal experiences and revelations but upon anecdotal evidence and the recommendations of other people, past and present. Goal Setting or Let Go and Let God There are two approaches people use to manifest their desires. Some set goals. Others surrender and presume the universe is conspiring to deliver to them their every desire without strain, in its own way and in its own time. Which way is better? Can these two methods be used together? Choose the Companionship of Positive People Who Inspire You If the people you spend the most time with are inspiring, supportive, encouraging, and they demonstrate qualities you want to emulate – great, you are on the right track. If not, it’s up to you to do something about it. Life is too short to put up with other people’s pity parties, bitch-and-moan marathons, and oh-woe-is-me clubs. Good Listener Secrets – Listen with Your Heart When someone is talking to you, do you hear with your ears, monitor with your mind, or listen with your heart? Invest a few minutes thinking about the importance of listening well – a deliberate conscious act – and watch your relationships grow to a new level of closeness and understanding. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Ego or Soul? Who’s Driving Even though I identify my sense of self with soul, there seems to be another “something” inside forever jockeying for position and making its presence known. This is the ego. What’s the difference? How can you know which one is in charge? What are their characteristics? Since I prefer peace to mayhem and contentment to perpetual, blind striving, my goal is to keep soul in the driver’s seat as often as possible. Instead of an either/or situation, I like the idea of soul and ego peacefully coexisting in a manner that best serves the greater good. How to Live the Life of Your Dreams Through Intuition Intuition feels good. That should be enough of a clue it’s something that can be trusted. But, our culture has done a thorough job of instilling doubt about the wisdom of following our instincts. Instead, we are taught to think things through and be logical. These mental tools are important, but they were never intended to be used instead of intuition. They work better when used in conjunction with intuition. If we are open to it, we get nudges and insights to move us in the direction of our greatest joys, our most valuable contributions, and our most satisfying life. Those quiet whispers and gentle taps on the shoulder are examples of inner guidance in action – intuition. Articles by Tupelo

The idea of “self-image” is often a static concept. You hear of people with a “low” self-image or a “healthy” self-image. Whatever it is, many people seem satisfied to play the cards they’re dealt. Few people seem to realize their current self-image can be a departure point as they move toward the kind of self-image they specifically choose and deliberately engineer.

Your self-image is much more than something that “happens to you.” As you first start thinking about your self-image, it’s natural to be curious about how your current ideas about it originated. Your first impression may be that other people’s ideas and attitudes about you were instrumental in creating your self-image. If your childhood and early adult influences were positive, encouraging and nurturing, you may feel these experiences contributed to a reasonably positive, healthy self-image. If your early experiences were negative and discouraging, it may feel natural to blame them for your current less-than-stellar self-image.

Whether healthy or weak, positive or negative, good or bad, notice these influences originate outside of yourself. They come to you from others – their opinions, their prejudices, their short-sightedness, their personal agendas. Upon close examination, it becomes clear their attitudes, ideas and expectations of you have very little to do with you and very much to do with THEM.

Whatever these people think about you is none of your business. It’s their problem, and it doesn’t need to affect you. And it certainly shouldn’t be the basis of your own self-image.

It’s All About You

Let’s look at the semantics. “Self-image” has nothing whatsoever to do with anyone other than you. Self-image bypasses everyone else and is all about you. It’s only about what you think about yourself. Self-image refers to the package of ideas, feelings and aspirations you hold for yourself – and about yourself.

In order to have any kind of positive self-image, the first step is to really grasp this realization that it’s all about you. Once you remove all others from the equation, you can get down to the business of discovering what you really think about yourself. You can get a clearer picture of how you feel about the chosen direction of your life, totally independent from any outside influences.

Self-Image and Purpose

The second step in enhancing your self-image is to explore the idea of purpose in your life. Now that you realize that self-image is all about “me,” what is the bigger picture? How do you best fit into the macrocosm, and how can you best contribute for the good of the whole?

“Nothing contributes so much to tranquilizing the mind as a steady purpose — a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.” – Mary Godwin Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851)

“More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent.” – William Ashley (Billy) Sunday (1862-1935)

When your life is driven by a strong and clear sense of purpose, you are inspired toward right action . . . from the inside – out. Motivation, which comes from the outside – in, is not necessary since the driving force of your inner inspiration makes your chosen actions and activities joyous.

“The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness.” – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

When you feel good, everyone around you benefits, and all of life rallies around you. In this state of dedication to purpose, you are inspired and you are inspiring. ( See previous articles, “Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out” and “10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose.”)

“This is the true joy in life: The being, used for a purpose recognized by yourself, as a mighty one. The being, a force of nature, instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

“I want to be thoroughly used up when I die – for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me; it is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” – George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

Dedication to Purpose

People who orchestrate their lives according to their dedication to purpose are easy to recognize. They are upbeat, energetic, and have a happy demeanor. They do not participate in pity parties. They don’t complain or whine or feel the need to detail their grievances anytime someone is willing to listen. When others are involved in these activities, the purpose-driven person with the healthy self-image simply disappears. Before they go, they may choose to drop a hint about why they choose to become scarce, just in case anyone is aware enough to catch it. If they do, perhaps it will nudge the pity part participants to think twice about their whining and choose to stop before serious damage is done.

The person with a healthy self-image will rarely engage whiners and complainers in a conversation about why these habits are so unproductive and destructive. It’s rarely helpful since those consumed by habitual bitching simply launch into an automatic mode of arguing about why they feel so justified in their actions.

“Argue for your limitations and they’re yours.” – Richard Bach (Illusions)

Be Happy First

The purpose-driven individual has a healthy self-image as a result of their understanding that happiness comes first. Their dedication to purpose provides an inner well-spring of contentment and well-being that spills over into all areas of their life.

“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – The 14th Dalai Lama (b. 1935)

The complainer’s concept of happiness goes something like this: “I’ll be happy when . . .” or “I’ll be happy if . . .” A more hands-on approach to happiness goes something like this: “I am happy now. That’s top priority. I am living my life on purpose now, according to my current understanding of my life’s purpose. This is subject to change at a moment’s notice as I continue to grow and develop deeper understanding about my true self. I choose to be happy now, at all costs, because I realize that this moment, now, is the only moment in all eternity available for happiness. The past is a memory – I can’t be happy then. The future is a dream – I can’t be happy then. So I choose happiness now, knowing the best possible actions, situations, serendipities and results will spring forth best from this deliberate choice of a healthy, positive and happy self-image.”

“A man with a half volition goes backwards and forwards, and makes no way on the smoothest road; a man with a whole volition advances on the roughest, and will reach his purpose, if there be even a little worthiness in it. The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder – a waif, a nothing, a no man. Have a purpose in life and having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as God has given you.” – Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

Monitor Your Words and Thoughts

Words are powerful creators, whether spoken aloud or thought silently, so it’s important to eliminate any ideas or phrases that may be working against you. Be aware of habitual thoughts like the following and deliberately eliminate them from your life: “I feel bad. I’m so stupid. I feel sick. I’m so tired.” Don’t give these ideas the opportunity to become self-fulfilling prophecies. These are destructive affirmations, whether you “mean” them or not. Even if you think they’re a joke or “just words,” they can be damaging. They can sneak up on you and undermine your intentions unless you remain vigilant.

Words and thoughts are powerful creators, so be careful not to use them willy nilly. Think and speak clearly and deliberately, in line with your purpose. (See previous article, “How to Keep Your Word.”)

Whenever you notice an urge to complain or whine about anything, catch yourself in the act. Deliberately become objective and notice how it is making you feel. Is it moving it toward your objective or away from it? Nip it in the bud. Turn it around 180 degrees, and think or speak about the positive aspect instead.

Instead of “I feel bad,” think: “Something feels out of balance that I need to address so that I can feel better now.” Instead of “I’m so stupid,” think: “I choose to pay closer attention and make better choices so I can feel better now.” Instead of, “I feel sick,” think: “My body has a message that I need to hear immediately so that I can take whatever actions are necessary to regain my balance and feel better now.” Instead of “I’m so tired,” think: “My body is telling me I need to pace myself for optimum efficiency, so I will enjoy rest and relaxation interspersed with my inspired activity so that I can remain alert, productive and happy now.”

Speak with the Precession of a Benevolent Wizard

Fantasize that you are a mighty sorcerer and the words you speak create mighty spells that have a profound impact on the quality of your life, as well as the lives of others. Choose your words and thoughts carefully and deliberately, as if they had this kind of powerful magic behind them. Perhaps they do, and we have just forgotten how powerful our thoughts and words are to allow us to create our lives on purpose.

“The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose.” – Richard Leider

You are the creator of the moments of your life. This present moment is all you have. Create it on purpose, from the center of your being, as expressed through a self-image you create and continually re-create for yourself. When your self-image is of your own creation, it is natural for you to like yourself – love yourself. With this kind of personal satisfaction, your moments become happy. Happy moments mean a joyous life. What could be better? Remember, your self-image is all about you . . . so build it any way you’d like it, and make it on-purpose.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

A Heartbeat in Eternity’s Highway In the grand scheme of things, what’s the difference between a single moment and all of eternity? What’s the point of reference? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor17 Time of Our Lives Time is so fleeting, so elusive, it’s good to remember the importance and power of living right now. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor7 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Same Olde Time Time – it’s so relative. "What if distant starlight shining in the endless sky is just the same, by a different name, as the twinkle in your eye?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor7 Just One Step Just begin. If you will just get underway, the project itself gains momentum and carries you along to its completion. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor12 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Songs by Tupelo
Your Passion as Your Compass Allow your passions to stretch their wings and the direction of your life could surprise you – in a good way. Celebrate life with passion! 10 Steps to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Of all the self-help ideas I’ve come across through the years, this one has been the most helpful. For me, it’s been the Rosetta Stone of personal development techniques. After getting a handle on the idea of “purpose”, other areas of my life fell into place more easily. How to Keep Your Word This article is a poignant reminder of the power of your word. Celebrate life by honoring your word . . . and therefore the people with whom you interact. Take Time for You Don’t put yourself at the end of the list. You deserve to be first, at least some of the time. Don’t let your entire life slip by with everything else (and everyone else) getting preferential treatment over your most important priorities. Their needs are important, but yours are important too. Celebrate life by taking time for YOU! Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Inspire Yourself on Purpose – Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Articles by Tupelo

I’ve found it helpful to think of two separate entities who inhabit my body. First, this is an important distinction. You often hear of someone claiming to “have” a soul. The viewpoint inferred by this choice of words begs the question, “If you have a soul, who is having it? The body? The mind?”

To me, it seems more accurate (and more useful) to think about it the other way around. That is, soul is who I am (who we all are) and we now have a body.

Even though I identify my sense of self with soul, there seems to be another “something” inside forever jockeying for position and making its presence known. This is the ego.

What’s the difference? How can you know which one is in charge? What are their characteristics?

Soul’s Attributes

Soul is all about peace and contentment. Soul perceives the outer world through the five senses via the mind. Soul perceives the inner world through knowing, feelings, emotions, hunches, nudges, dreams, daydreams, inner sight and inner sound.

“Thinking, understanding, reasoning, willing, call not these Soul! They are its actions, but they are not its essence.” – Akhenaton (d. c.1354 BC) – Egyptian king

Ego desperately needs to be right. If it can’t be right, the next best thing is that it needs others to be wrong. Ego is alone and unconnected to others. It is driven to compete with all the others, so that it can be recognized as best. If not best, at least better. The ego’s sense of self is wrapped up in titles, awards and achievements. It must be continuously recognized by others for its accomplishments and special-ness.

Ego’s Characteristics

Ego needs stuff – the more, the better. It is identified with possessions and the perceived prestige that accompanies them.

“Many could forgo heavy meals, a full wardrobe, a fine house, et cetera; it is the ego they cannot forgo.” – Gandhi (1869-1948)

The ego is engaged in a never-ending striving for more. It is never satisfied, never content, and never at peace. In fact, those things are considered threats to the ego – if you were totally peaceful, why would anyone need an ego? Ego may delude itself into thinking its striving, pushing and shoving is driven by a longing for peace, but the truth is, its striving is driven by the love of striving.

Ego Needs – Soul Is

Peace and contentment is the domain of the soul. Soul doesn’t “need” anything and is perfectly happy just to be. Soul is fulfilled by its attention on the present moment and whatever circumstances come with it. Soul has no longing for things or awards or recognition or outcomes. These are all in the realm of ego. Whatever it takes to remain peaceful, that is the objective of soul.

Soul does not shrink from experience – in fact, it relishes experiences that allow it to grow in awareness. Therefore, soul doesn’t mind possessions – it just remains detached from them with the understanding that they are all temporary.

“The self-controlled soul, who moves amongst sense objects, free from either attachment or repulsion, he wins eternal Peace.” – Bhagavad Gita (c. BC 400)

All possessions are loaners, to be enjoyed in the moment, and easily released when it’s time. Possessions come and possessions go – the sense of being “I am” remains to experience each of them in the moment of now. From the viewpoint of soul, all things are temporary playthings, capable of providing amusement and a richness of experience, but never to be allowed to get in the way of peace and contentment.

Relatively Peaceful Coexistance

I notice both of these viewpoints active within myself on any particular day. Even though I have made the conscious decision to identify with soul, ego elbows its way to the forefront quite often with its petty needs and inconsiderate attitudes.

It doesn’t have to be an on-going, internal war between the two. To function in the world, we seem to need both soul and ego. The problems arise when the ego is allowed to run amuck in an unsupervised manner. When ego is under the watchful eye of soul, a workable balance can be achieved.

“Our ego is our silent partner–too often with a controlling interest.” – Cullen Hightower

Shrinking Ego / Growing Soul Visualization

When I was first learning the benefits of meditation about forty years ago, I often pondered these two seemingly opposite viewpoints that co-existed in my head and heart. I realized that ego could be put under the control of soul and eventually began to enjoy occasional success at deliberately choosing soul as the captain. It’s not easy (ego is a relentless competitor), but with diligence and discipline, an ever-increasing percentage of moments had soul in the driver’s seat.

“To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul. To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of, because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solutions.” – Deepak K. Chopra (b. 1946)

In meditation, I focused my attention on a mental image of soul and ego. In my mind’s eye, I saw each of them as glowing orbs of light roughly equal in size, filling the mental screen. I noticed as I was successful in diminishing the size, power and importance of ego, its orb shrunk and soul had more room to grow into. It seemed so simple . . . as “A” shrinks, “B” is allowed to expand.

It was a helpful image that now, forty years later, I still use. I don’t think of it as an inner battle that will someday be won or lost. Instead, it is a spiritual exercise that reminds me that both soul and ego are necessary to function in the world.

“Meditation is the soul’s perspective glass.” – Owen Felltham (1602?-68)

Since I prefer peace to mayhem and contentment to perpetual, blind striving, my goal is to keep soul in the driver’s seat as often as possible. Instead of an either/or situation, I like the idea of soul and ego peacefully coexisting in a manner that best serves the greater good. Communication between the two is encouraged, so as often as possible, balance is the outcome.

“The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.” – Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (1830-86)

In my meditations, I still envision the ego shrinking which automatically allows more “room” for soul to grow into. And whenever I notice a strong desire to be “right” or notice a thought of superiority or an urge for needless competition, I try to remember to take the old ego down a notch and allow soul to resume its rightful place in the driver’s seat.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	May You Have Joy Have you ever felt a warm appreciation for someone in your life, and just wanted to wish them well? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#anchor12 Who is the Watcher Explores the silent witness within and the idea that life occurs in this present moment. Always. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor-14 A Heartbeat in Eternity’s Highway In the grand scheme of things, what’s the difference between a single moment and all of eternity? What’s the point of reference? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor17 Soul in the Stars It feels good to try to see the bigger picture once in awhile,and to focus on gratitude for what we have, rather than the frustration of what we are lacking. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor4 Blue Water Water and the sea are such perfect metaphors for the larger reality we are all immersed in. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor6 Story Belt Celebrates the importance of keeping things in perspective while being a part of the bigger picture. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor8 Love is Who You Are "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor1 Songs by Tupelo
How Do You Feel About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us – inner guidance. The Dilemma of Desire What is desire? Where does it come from? Why do we have it? Does it serve us in a positive way, or does it distract us and keep us perpetually in discontent? This article sheds some light on these important questions so that each of us can find our own answers. Action and Satisfaction A satisfying life includes time for doing balanced by time for being , embracing and celebrating all aspects of life. Being, doing, having . . . all these things are important ingredients of our package of life experience. Denying any aspect of it only serves to diminish our joy of living a full, inspired, and satisfying life. Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Balancing Desire with Contentment It’s a fine line we walk between wanting more and feeling satisfied with what we have. Desire is unavoidable – it comes with the territory. So, the trick is to find the balance. There’s a middle ground to be found where deep feelings of contentment and satisfaction are spiced with the delicious excitement of something more on the horizon. Articles by Tupelo