Chapter 17,
Navigating Our Inner World.
As we stop taking from the external world and start saying no to those things outside of us that have tried to pull us away from ourselves for so long,
We'll begin to reclaim our inner power.
As we learn to run to ourselves and start embracing and learning from all of our emotions,
We'll slowly begin finding our way out of our fear,
Negative patterns,
And suffering.
As we continue doing this,
As we keep exploring and learning from our inner world,
There are certain things that we may experience that are important to understand.
The first thing we should realize is that for every step forward we take toward shifting our unconscious limiting patterns,
We may,
At times,
Experience a rebound of sorts where the mind,
Wanting to revert to its old familiar ways,
Lashes back in anger and helplessness at the prospect of impending change.
One good way to avoid this growth rebound is to remember to be gentle with yourself when you're experiencing inner turbulence.
It's important to realize that we don't have to add more pain to that which we're already feeling.
We don't have to add any more resistance to our experience.
And if we're able to acknowledge that some days are going to be more challenging than others,
Then we can practice being grateful for those sunny days when we have clear vision and are glad to be alive.
Then,
If we once again begin to see new clouds within that surprise us with their persistence or their pain,
We can try our best to accept them as they are.
We can choose to see these potentially unpleasant experiences as valuable opportunities to learn how we may have been avoiding those very things which can help us find true freedom—our own confusion,
Pain,
And suffering.
There may also be certain times on our inner journey when we're feeling extremely empowered by a particular insight and might almost believe that we have it all figured out,
As if our inner work is nearly done.
It's important to remember,
However,
There are many steps on the path to inner peace.
While some may provide us with a beautiful vista beyond the clouds of confusion and delusion,
There may be others that lead us toward new clouds,
Ones on an unseen horizon,
Which still need to be seen and understood before we can hope to let in any amount of constant sunshine into our lives.
As we begin investigating our inner world and opening more fully to the full spectrum of our emotions,
We may also find that it takes a while to feel comfortable within ourselves.
Yet,
Just as a driver who practices in heavy traffic and treacherous conditions becomes skilled and confident,
Learning to anticipate the world that's speeding around him,
Secure in his ability to handle most difficult situations,
So too is it with the practice of self-observation.
As we become more familiar with our emotional traffic jams and stalls,
We can begin to ever more accurately observe and decipher them.
And just as a driver who has much experience knows when to speed up and when to slow down,
When to yield and when to stop,
We too can learn to anticipate and navigate the inner turmoil that is sure to arise from our own actions and our interactions with others.
As we continue exploring our inner world,
We'll begin seeing patterns within our life.
We'll discover similarities with many of our relationships and the circumstances we face.
We'll find ourselves questioning our automatic reactions to other people and begin wondering how we might act in ways that are less likely to hurt us and those around us.
We may also begin to see how some of our reactions to certain situations are perhaps unwarranted or exaggerated and how they might be contributing to the pain we're experiencing.
We may also discover that some of these behaviors are simply old patterns that are arising from reactions to past experiences we've judged as unpleasant.
By investigating these moments when they occur,
We can gain greater insight into how we might heal those old fears and hidden memories that are causing us to act in ways that often leave us feeling helpless,
Angry,
And confused.
We may also begin to see some of our own behaviors as wrong or immoral,
Actions that have brought us power,
Financial gain,
Or pleasure through the mistreatment of others.
All of these insights can be quite shocking and we may feel the urge to repress them again through continued numbing actions.
Rather than running or hiding from your inner story,
However,
I'd like to invite you to sit quietly so that you might better understand how you're hurting yourself and how you might make changes that can help you.
And know that to enact any change effectively,
We have to come from a place of truth.
Be it an internal or external change,
We must look as closely and as objectively as possible for any views arising from within that are tainted by fear or desire and learn to look beyond them through eyes of truth.
As we begin to follow this path of being real with ourselves,
Of learning to explore and accept our fears and desires and trying to understand from where they've arisen,
We will move toward greater clarity and understanding of ourselves and our world.
As we begin to see our lives with greater wisdom and compassion,
We'll begin to understand our own deepest desires and move toward the fulfillment of our true potential.
Our lives will begin to move in more heartfelt directions and we'll begin experiencing more happiness and inner peace.
We'll start to understand the connection that exists between us and with all things.
And as we continue to heal ourselves,
We'll begin to clarify our stream of consciousness and dwell in greater harmony with the present moment and the world around us.
