Every time I start one among my workshops, courses or retreats I at all times get an enormous giggle once I say : “You’re all right here since you consider your self as somebody dedicated to pursuing deep psychological and non secular therapeutic. You sincerely imagine that you just need to grow to be extra acutely aware and extra entire. You’ve spent some huge cash to get right here and put aside an excessive amount of time. And are fairly satisfied that you’re really extremely motivated to do that work.
And but… there’s some a part of you that’s JUST as dedicated to creating certain you NEVER get up. This usually hidden facet of you isn’t inquisitive about doing this work AT ALL. And can strive to withstand and sabotage and distract you from changing into extra acutely aware each likelihood it will get.”
Within the film the Matrix the signal above the Oracle’s door when Neo went to see her for steering was Know Thyself which apparently got here from the Authentic Oracle of the Greeks. These phrases are one other model of the Shakesperean admonition of To Thine Personal Self Be True.
So this concept that realizing your self is a GOOD factor isn’t one thing that simply appeared with the New Age. It’s a tried and true idea that has been round for awhile.
But it surely’s apparently not any simpler to perform than it was for Neo in l999 and 1000’s of years in the past when the Delphic Oracle tried to get folks in line. Its one thing folks know that they in all probability SHOULD attempt to determine however it’s nonetheless not notably in style as an precise apply.
In one among my most up-to-date workshops I overheard one among my college students at lunch saying to a different participant : “I’ve realized extra about myself within the final three days of this retreat than I ever actually wished to know.” Which is just about the best way most of us really feel about actually seeing ourselves clearly.
So there’s two questions I need to discover right here. Why IS it a superb factor to know your self? And why can we resist that realizing each freaking step of the best way?
There’s just a few completely different ranges of self information. The primary degree is what my husband Tim calls the I Like Pizza model of your self. That is the realizing that occurs on a comparatively superficial degree. It’s associated to our likes and dislikes and is targeted on what permits us to really feel a way of enjoyment and luxury. Which isn’t a foul factor. We have to know learn how to create happiness by experiences of ease and solace. Giving your self issues that make you cheerful is an act of self love. It’s how you take care of your interior youngster and permits you to really feel like all is correct on the planet…. Even when just for the few moments it takes to savor that piece of pizza.
However we typically don’t must dig too deep to determine the I Like Pizza components of our persona. We all know we like the colour blue or choose motion films over advanced dramas or would quite spend our holidays at a Membership Med the place all the things is taken care of for us as an alternative of working our asses off climbing Mount Everest.
We will spend our entire lives merely having fun with the issues we like and by no means doing something that we don’t like. A minimum of in the case of meals, film and trip selections.
However proper beneath I Like Pizza there’s a second layer that many individuals don’t pay that a lot consideration to as a result of it requires some effort to get there. I Like Pizza is fairly computerized. We put pizza in our mouth and get a direct YUM response. We do the identical factor with Brussels Sprouts and get simply as a direct YUCK and that’s the tip of the dialogue. Case closed. The decision is in. The jury is unanimous. Pizza for the win. Brussels Sprouts are banned ceaselessly by no means to be heard from once more.
One other phrase for this type of knee jerk response is the time period unconscious. We don’t know why we choose pizza over brussels sprouts. We simply know that we do. We’re not acutely aware of something apart from the choice itself. If somebody requested us WHY we favored pizza greater than Brussells sprouts we might take a look at them quizzically like they’d grown two heads. The query makes NO sense to the a part of us that’s operating on computerized pilot.
Why isn’t related right here. However the subsequent layer down IS the Why layer. And that is the place issues get fascinating. And the place we’ve to dig. Get curious. Ask some questions. And successfully start to discover ourselves on a WHOLE different degree.
This is step one away from unintentional consciousness to the start of consciousness. Or really realizing ourselves.
The I Like Pizza a part of our being isn’t too keen on these questions. As a result of I Like Pizza doesn’t actually need to get up and grow to be conscious. I Like Pizza’s major motivation is consolation. However waking up is inherently an uncomfortable proposition.
Once more, consolation isn’t a BAD factor. However when you solely keep on the consolation degree you’ll really miss out on a LOT of very cool and fascinating life experiences.
So that you go to the why degree, asking why do I like Pizza and never brussels sprouts? Now the primary response may be DUH… as a result of pizza tastes WAY higher than Brussels Sprouts, dumbass.
However when you dig just a little bit deeper you may start to note some issues that aren’t obvious on the extra superficial degree. You may start to note that if you eat pizza it really makes you are feeling form of spaced out and groggy. And that consuming Brussels Sprouts offers you extra vitality and a larger sense of readability. And that what you really like if you say you want pizza isn’t a lot the TASTE of pizza however the drug like impact of pizza. That you just like being numbed out and half asleep as a result of you then don’t must really feel sure feelings like anger or hatred or disgrace which are lurking within the deeper recesses of your psyche. And that consuming Brussel Sprouts means you’re extra more likely to really feel these issues merely since you’re extra awake and alive.
However asking and ANSWERING the why now means you’re confronted with an entire different set of questions and selections. Comparable to…. Do you actually WANT to be that alive? What does it imply to your life to uncork all of these painful, messy emotions? How vital IS it to know your self all the best way down? Do you actually NEED that a lot psychological, emotional and non secular readability in your life?
If the reply is nah… I’m good. Then return to consuming pizza. But when this subsequent set of questions intrigues you and leaves you wanting one thing deeper, one thing MORE you then’ve obtained some work to do. And an entire journey awaits you.
Now none of this deeper stuff could also be true for you. Pizza may be your jam just because the combo of cheese and tomato sauce and sizzling, crunchy bread crusts makes your mouth swoon with salivating delight. And Brussels Sprouts style like … Brussels Sprouts. And that’s that.
But it surely actually by no means hurts to ask.
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