The source of real power
Everyone agrees that power is necessary to create a good life. Many believe that money brings power, or that power comes from connections ("friends in higher places"), or education (PhD, etc.), or experience.
However, what so few people understand is that real, lasting power comes from within, from ourselves. It comes from an evolved understanding of what life is all about, and what we are here to do and learn.
The reason why most do not suspect that power lies within them, is that in our everyday lives, we tend to focus exclusively on external things. We watch the news about what is going on in the world, in faraway places. We look at other people around us and, subconsciously or not, we compare ourselves to them. We seek "stuff" and buy "stuff" like as if material gratification could allow us to evolve personally and spiritually.
Continually comparing ourselves to others can only lead to misery, for every person is on a unique path of spiritual evolution. We are not "bodies" working hard on Earth to acquire more and more "stuff."
Yet "working hard every day to acquire more stuff or accumulate money in a bank account to retire and enjoy stuff" seems to be a dominant script for most humans on this planet.
This insane phase of "working", that is, exchanging one's life for dollars, occupies roughly a person's life between the ages of 23 and 65.
It would be all too easy to blame "corporate America" or the educational system for the empty lives we are leading. It is much harder to take responsibility and recognize the fact that if our lives are empty, it's simply because we have not put much thought into clarifying what it is that we really want out of life.
For example, Christmas is coming, so naturally, most people will begin to think -- to varying degrees -- about what their friends and relatives want as a gift. But the real question is, "What do YOU want in life?"
If you truly knew, exactly and precisely, what you TRULY wanted in life, then you could, right now, start to describe it in your Facebook profile or your Linkedin profile, so interested friends, relatives, coworkers, acquaintances, etc. could -- if they wish -- buy for you a gift that is aligned with your purpose in life.
Otherwise, you might just end up with one meaningless gift based on your friends' well-intentioned guess of what you want.
Here's an exercise that will drive home the whole point of this post.
Suppose you were to ask five friends or relatives, what your purpose in life is, or what dream you are pursuing in life, would they be able to come up with the same answer? If not, then it means your clarity of purpose needs further work.
Some may say, "I know exactly what my dream is, and I'm pursuing it relentlessly. But I don't feel I have to share that dream with other people, including friends and family."
That's fair enough. It is wise, however, to consider the possibility that
1. your dream is ego-based, and does not serve the collectivity. For if it did serve them, it would make much more sense for you to share what your dream is, so they can contribute and provide feedback.
2. you are still clinging onto your ego, which is afraid of criticism and negative feedback, so you try to protect yourself (or your ego, rather) from the negativity of other people (especially friends and family, who are always the best at providing well-intentioned negative thoughts)
I must stress that the above does NOT mean you should share with everyone your half-baked ideas and goals, or that it is necessary to talk about your goals and dreams with other people. Indeed, you may need to work on clarifying your purpose and dream for a while, and gather enough resolve and self-confidence BEFORE you share your intentions with others.
But let's get back to the point of this post: your personal power.
Any and all power comes from you, from your allowing yourself the time and the space to explore and exercise your power.
To do this, you need to quiet down all thoughts, and since most thoughts come to you through other people and from the mass media (magazines, books, TV, movies, ads, etc.), you need to create a specific time during the day when you can meditate without being interrupted.
I've been meditating in a library for the last few years, and have learned to listen to my inner voice. I don't think this could have been achieved without meditation and places, such as a library, where I can empty my mind of all thoughts.
Whether you're a mother, an entrepreneur, a careerist, a new parent, an investor, etc. does not matter, in the grand scheme of things, as much as the fact that you are here to experience and joyfully direct your own spiritual evolution.
"Success" therefore is best defined by how peaceful and joyful you are, compared to how peaceful and joyful you were a few months or years ago.
"Success" is not determined by how much your bank account has grown, nor how well your investment portfolio is performing, nor how many friends you have, nor how big your house is, nor how many cars you have, etc.
Material possessions are relatively important, not absolutely important. They can make you physically more comfortable while you seek true spiritual evolution. But they cannot replace spiritual evolution.
Women tend to seek, consciously or unconsciously, spiritual evolution more than men.
This is why I believe that as more and more women get involved in politics, business, academia, etc. we will see a shift in the world from an ego-based lifestyle to a spirit-based lifestyle.
Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth, is all about that inevitable shift from an egoic life philosophy to a Higher Self focus.
In other words, as you choose and commit to shifting your focus away from your ego and toward your Higher Self (or spirit), you will begin to feel powerful, and will be able to exercise your power over all aspects of your life.
This may sound strange to you, yet the very fact that you are reading this blog testifies to your readiness to receive information that most people are not ready (yet) to receive.
Indeed, those who seek knowledge, are necessarily creating within themselves the space to receive new knowledge.
As you receive this new knowledge, or this inner knowingness that you are -- through your thoughts -- continually creating and shaping your life, you will begin to feel powerful.
You will feel your sovereign power to direct and create your destiny, and you will feel that other people have no power over you. This in itself will bring great peace of mind, and will reverse radically the idea or thought, expressed by philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, that "hell is other people."
Other people cannot bring "hell" into your life, in any way, shape or form, once you realize -- through diligent and sustained practice -- that heaven lies within you, waiting to be released through a simple decision to focus on your Higher Self and not your ego.
However, what so few people understand is that real, lasting power comes from within, from ourselves. It comes from an evolved understanding of what life is all about, and what we are here to do and learn.
The reason why most do not suspect that power lies within them, is that in our everyday lives, we tend to focus exclusively on external things. We watch the news about what is going on in the world, in faraway places. We look at other people around us and, subconsciously or not, we compare ourselves to them. We seek "stuff" and buy "stuff" like as if material gratification could allow us to evolve personally and spiritually.
Continually comparing ourselves to others can only lead to misery, for every person is on a unique path of spiritual evolution. We are not "bodies" working hard on Earth to acquire more and more "stuff."
Yet "working hard every day to acquire more stuff or accumulate money in a bank account to retire and enjoy stuff" seems to be a dominant script for most humans on this planet.
This insane phase of "working", that is, exchanging one's life for dollars, occupies roughly a person's life between the ages of 23 and 65.
It would be all too easy to blame "corporate America" or the educational system for the empty lives we are leading. It is much harder to take responsibility and recognize the fact that if our lives are empty, it's simply because we have not put much thought into clarifying what it is that we really want out of life.
For example, Christmas is coming, so naturally, most people will begin to think -- to varying degrees -- about what their friends and relatives want as a gift. But the real question is, "What do YOU want in life?"
If you truly knew, exactly and precisely, what you TRULY wanted in life, then you could, right now, start to describe it in your Facebook profile or your Linkedin profile, so interested friends, relatives, coworkers, acquaintances, etc. could -- if they wish -- buy for you a gift that is aligned with your purpose in life.
Otherwise, you might just end up with one meaningless gift based on your friends' well-intentioned guess of what you want.
Here's an exercise that will drive home the whole point of this post.
Suppose you were to ask five friends or relatives, what your purpose in life is, or what dream you are pursuing in life, would they be able to come up with the same answer? If not, then it means your clarity of purpose needs further work.
Some may say, "I know exactly what my dream is, and I'm pursuing it relentlessly. But I don't feel I have to share that dream with other people, including friends and family."
That's fair enough. It is wise, however, to consider the possibility that
1. your dream is ego-based, and does not serve the collectivity. For if it did serve them, it would make much more sense for you to share what your dream is, so they can contribute and provide feedback.
2. you are still clinging onto your ego, which is afraid of criticism and negative feedback, so you try to protect yourself (or your ego, rather) from the negativity of other people (especially friends and family, who are always the best at providing well-intentioned negative thoughts)
I must stress that the above does NOT mean you should share with everyone your half-baked ideas and goals, or that it is necessary to talk about your goals and dreams with other people. Indeed, you may need to work on clarifying your purpose and dream for a while, and gather enough resolve and self-confidence BEFORE you share your intentions with others.
But let's get back to the point of this post: your personal power.
Any and all power comes from you, from your allowing yourself the time and the space to explore and exercise your power.
To do this, you need to quiet down all thoughts, and since most thoughts come to you through other people and from the mass media (magazines, books, TV, movies, ads, etc.), you need to create a specific time during the day when you can meditate without being interrupted.
I've been meditating in a library for the last few years, and have learned to listen to my inner voice. I don't think this could have been achieved without meditation and places, such as a library, where I can empty my mind of all thoughts.
Whether you're a mother, an entrepreneur, a careerist, a new parent, an investor, etc. does not matter, in the grand scheme of things, as much as the fact that you are here to experience and joyfully direct your own spiritual evolution.
"Success" therefore is best defined by how peaceful and joyful you are, compared to how peaceful and joyful you were a few months or years ago.
"Success" is not determined by how much your bank account has grown, nor how well your investment portfolio is performing, nor how many friends you have, nor how big your house is, nor how many cars you have, etc.
Material possessions are relatively important, not absolutely important. They can make you physically more comfortable while you seek true spiritual evolution. But they cannot replace spiritual evolution.
Women tend to seek, consciously or unconsciously, spiritual evolution more than men.
This is why I believe that as more and more women get involved in politics, business, academia, etc. we will see a shift in the world from an ego-based lifestyle to a spirit-based lifestyle.
Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth, is all about that inevitable shift from an egoic life philosophy to a Higher Self focus.
In other words, as you choose and commit to shifting your focus away from your ego and toward your Higher Self (or spirit), you will begin to feel powerful, and will be able to exercise your power over all aspects of your life.
This may sound strange to you, yet the very fact that you are reading this blog testifies to your readiness to receive information that most people are not ready (yet) to receive.
Indeed, those who seek knowledge, are necessarily creating within themselves the space to receive new knowledge.
As you receive this new knowledge, or this inner knowingness that you are -- through your thoughts -- continually creating and shaping your life, you will begin to feel powerful.
You will feel your sovereign power to direct and create your destiny, and you will feel that other people have no power over you. This in itself will bring great peace of mind, and will reverse radically the idea or thought, expressed by philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, that "hell is other people."
Other people cannot bring "hell" into your life, in any way, shape or form, once you realize -- through diligent and sustained practice -- that heaven lies within you, waiting to be released through a simple decision to focus on your Higher Self and not your ego.
posted by Super Peter at 10:33 AM
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