Today we ask that you listen to what is inside of you.
The vast majority of humans are outer-directed. That is to say, their whole perception of reality is shaped by what is external.
They rely on their five senses. They rely on measurements like money, success, approval. They listen to what authority figures have to say. Often they are quite addicted to external stimuli, and have great difficult with stillness, and silence. That is because their whole sense of self is wrapped up in what is external, and when the external world goes silent they no longer know who they are. They find this loss of identity extremely uncomfortable, and avoid it at all costs.
Those of you on the spiritual path may already know that the true beginning of the awakening process happens at the moment of sitting still, turning inward, and letting the external world drop away. It is in the loss of the ego identity that the True Self is discovered.
The awakening process asks you to go inside. It asks that you place your trust and faith on what is inside, not outside.
This is not the same as being an “introvert” or an “extrovert.” It is true that a person who is comfortable with solitude and quiet may be more drawn to this process than someone who thrives on constant stimulation and socializing. But it is very possible to be an active, social person and also be inner-directed in your orientation.
Being inner-directed asks that you trust a deeper wisdom that exists within you. It is a quiet voice inside, which is why it is necessary to learn how to quiet the mind in order to access it. This inner wisdom is available to everyone, everywhere, at all times. But you must learn how to go inside.
For many people, the practice of meditation is the step that helps them become more inner-directed. You silence the external world for a brief span of time, and sit with what is inside.
When this becomes a daily practice, new senses begin to bloom within you. Senses that are not rooted in the external world and its measurements. You begin to follow an internal compass, one that unerringly points to the North Star of your True Self, your Higher Self.
When one speaks of an “enlightened” person, really this is a description of a person who has become entirely inner-directed. He still perceives the external world, but he no longer believes in it the way most people do.
Many people wish to change their lives, but they go about it in the wrong way. They try to change their lives from the outside in. They try to fix perceived problems in their external reality.
True change cannot happen from the outside in. One merely exchanges one set of problems for another set of problems. Peace will never be found this way.
True change can only happen from the inside out.
If you wish to transform your life, go inward. Go into the silence, the stillness. Listen to what is there.
wordfromthewell 