October 4, 2009 Teleclass: Being accountable to yourself
There are many ways to present this topic. Yet, being accountable to yourself is ultimately about being accountable to your inner self -- to your Higher Self. It is an ability to follow one's dreams in spite of internal and external distractions. It is about letting your mind (ego) be a great instrument for your Higher Self. It is an ongoing process of aligning your inner and outer realities.
Of course, to follow our dream, our vision, to abide by our inner self implies learning about and knowing what that Higher Self is. We need to develop an ability to dive and see deep within. In this deep well, we find intuition, foresight, peace, and joy. Some say that our Higher Self is an extension of God -- hence, the capital letters. Connecting to this Self is the only way humans can connect to the Source and to the Force.
In order to hear the voice of this deeper self of ours, we need to learn to tame our "monkey mind" -- and this is where becoming quieter, engaging in silent prayer, and learning to meditate enters the picture full force and becomes a big part of the equation. This is where we must go beyond the distractions of everyday consciousness -- beyond its useless self-talk, persistent inner critic and relentless self-loathing. The everyday conscious mind runs in circles because it is not aware of the larger plan. In fact, it perceives any deviation from its circular thinking as fear. Going beyond this fear is called spiritual path -- a path to our Inner Self.
Relax, however, for it is easy to follow your inner dream -- for your inner self will not let you stray too far. Just like a blade of grass will find its way toward the sun through asphalt, around rocks and stones, cracking cement, so will your inner being will assert itself again and again. It will speak to you through your inner voice if you are aware of it -- or through a mental or physical dis-ease process if you are not (ease vs. dis-ease). You do not need to do much -- just do not resist too much.
A difficult choice between inner urge and external pressure comes in letting go of resisting. We all know this. A stale but secure job may seem to block a desire to travel the world and write books about the experience. A family tradition may push you into a construction business when you long to become a doctor and heal inner city youth. A father figure may want you to stay in your insular village when you want to move to the expanse of a big city or a new country. What do we do when the external seems to block the internal? Do we listen to our inner guidance? Or do we succumb to the dictates of the ego and its constructs?
This is where our conflicting authenticities need to be examined. How well do we care for our body, mind, emotions, family, traditions? How balanced are priorities in our life? Do we neglect our body because a tradition tells us to eat unhealthy foods? Is our home a big mess, which distracts us from our inner calling with bad feng shui? Are we so insecure that we lack patience to walk away from a deadening job toward a glorious future? Do we follow our inner joy?
Quest for joy or the Path of Bliss is the predilection of human beings. Be on this Path and life will open up to you. Block it and see yourself sink into depression (which is merely an indicator of the block). We can follow the call of our innermost self by monitoring the direction of our life. Our Higher Self always points toward more joy! If we follow our bliss, we are being accountable to our best, to our highest self.
Copyright (c) Dr. Anatole Ruslanov
