Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” ~Isaiah 30:21
Lately, I have witnessed several people agonizing over choices. True, the decisions in question were important life-direction decisions leading to very different paths, not choices to take lightly. But what I noticed most of all was that the people were exclusively in their heads, trying to think their way to clarity, analyzing options logically, predicting future consequences, frantic with anxiety, terrified of making the wrong choice, bouncing back and forth without any progress. How, I wondered, can they find their way forward with so much mental noise blocking what can only be discerned in the silent sanctuary of the soul?
There is a wisdom within us – an ancient, sacred, cellular, cosmic knowing. We don’t always listen to it because we’ve forgotten that we have it. When we hear a hint of its whispered guidance, we dismiss it because it speaks to us from the realm beyond thought, so our mind is immediately suspicious. If we didn’t think it, analyze it, rationally justify it, it can’t possibly be valid.
We choose to live instead in our virtual reality of thought because that is how we’ve been taught to navigate our lives. How sad. We miss out on the deep magic of origin, on the vast awareness of truth, on the integrity of wholeness, on the unconquerable power of love, on the beauty of perfect harmony.
Beneath all the weighing of pros and cons, beneath all the playing out of various scenarios, and especially beneath all the shoulds and shouldn’ts that we have internalized from our families and our culture, there is a quiet knowingness that our soul recognizes as truth, regardless of what our mind is chattering on about. It guides us unerringly on the path with heart. We always know the way even if we don’t know the why.
The why doesn’t matter. This is not about understanding; it’s about surrender, before our brains jump in to think about it and we lose the moment. This is not about being impulsive; this is about being fully present in perfect alignment and harmony with what is in this moment.
There is an attunement, a sense of synchronicity, a resonance that vibrates throughout our entire being. We move to the music of the soul. Life unfolds in wondrous ways. Revelation replaces analysis. Thinking yields to listening. Love soothes fear. Peace calms chaos. Gratitude dissipates discontent.
This wisdom is always and already present within you. You need not develop it; it is complete. You need not attain it; it permeates your entire being. You need not understand it; it is beyond your mind’s comprehension. You need only listen for it in the silence of your heart, trust what you hear, and be courageous enough to follow it.
For in the sacredness of every moment, Divine Grace is telling you all that is required. ~Jean-Pierre de Caussade
Sounds divine. I just wish I were more attuned to that “wisdom station.” Sometimes it feels like my left brain has taken over and drowned out the intuitive side receptors…
That is true for most of us in this culture, David, so you are in good company. Beginning with Descartes claiming “I think, therefore I am,” we have misattributed our very existence to our thoughts. This is taught and reinforced in our families, our education, our Western culture. But if you are interested in accessing this “wisdom station,” I would suggest starting small, with brief times of listening within, even if you don’t hear anything. Eventually, you will sense guidance, again in small ways. If you trust what you hear and follow it, you will begin to open up more communication with your inner wisdom. Like I’m fond of saying, this shit really works! Ha! Thanks for commenting.
Thank you for the reminder…
You’re welcome, Thom!
I’m reminded of Chuamg Tzu’s description of “fasting of the mind” in book 4.
“Make your will one. Don’t listen with your ears, listen with your mind. No, don’t listen with you mind, listen with your spirit. Listenting stops with tth ears,the mind stops with recognition, but the sprit is empty and waits on all things. The Way gathers in emptiness alone. Emptiness is the fasting of the mind.”
Yes, that is a perfect description, Tom. Thank you so much for sharing that. Fasting of the mind can be a challenging concept to embrace, but the space that opens up in the emptiness of beginner’s mind or the empty cup of spirit allows this innate knowingness to emerge in the silence when we listen with our whole being.
Love this, Beth….
Nice to hear from you, Sue! Glad you liked it.
This post is powerful, Beth, and very well expressed! I try to tune into my inner wisdom, inner self/soul, but sometimes when you seek it, you dont find it, or there’s something murky which hasn’t clarified itself yet. I’ve been experiencing this for months after largish life changes not of my choosing, making me question my path. What I’m doing though, is letting myself be in a state of openness, readiness, for whenever the prompts may come. And boy oh boy, does it NOT have anything to do with analysing and reasoning. YOur post has helped me realise that awareness of this process really matters, that and maybe some patience.
Thanks, Lynne. Yep, sometimes what we think is murkiness is really a “clear” message to be patient. I love your description of remaining open and ready. You observation about seeking and not finding reminds me of a response Adyashanti gave a student who made a similar observation. “Are you willing to give up believing that you don’t already have it?” Sometimes it is the very seeking that obscures the way forward. Thanks for commenting.