What is Your Worth — To Yourself? pt 1
For those willing to consider the possibility that the external world is the realm of effect, rather than of cause, this might be fun. When we view consciousness as the cause of it all, then things — all of them — take on a drastically different look. If matter is the world of effect rather than of cause, then working with external stuff, be it people, organizations, or whatever, won’t solve anything. Do you see?
On the other hand, if the realm of cause lies within us all, then working on self has far more chance of returning equilibrium to our currently chaotic external world. Regardless of whether that is the case, our internal work can at least help restore some useful balance, a measure of inner peace.
While we might not be able to explain ourselves to anyone else, that’s fine — we don’t need to, as that’s just more external work. Things external have but limited power, internally. We won’t find the answers we seek by following others, either — not if those causes & answers abide within.
Do you think you’re worthy of paying attention to yourself?
Are you worthy of the kind of love you give to others in your life? Are you worth spending some time with, privately? What is your sense of self-worth? For most of us, it’s rather damaged, not making it unscathed through the heavy programming we all endured.
CASUALTY OF SOCIALIZATION
Our sense of self-worth is one of the early casualties of childhood experiences, both at home & at school. Obedience was held in high regard by adults with whom we came in contact, teaching us early on that pleasing others was far more important than pleasing our self. Speaking-up could even be dangerous, at times.
For most, those times are far behind us, but we carry the scars. How many people-pleasers do you know? Do they seem happy to you? There’s no point in seeking it outside, as few of us are acquainted with anyone with a high sense of self-worth. Our internal guidance system will take us there, once we discover it & learn how to work with it.
I’ve spent some time reading Medium blogs in the Spirituality section, & they leave me rather nonplussed. People are looking in so many external directions to find deep meaning & guidance to live their lives. All the while most of them are hobbling themselves in the search, their self-definition not going beyond the body-mind, though some do relate to the soul.
SELF-IMAGE IMPACT
When they go into the deep questions & challenges life presents, they’re hobbled by seeing themselves as so very small. Not all of those speaking of soul seem to be in good connection with that, speaking from there. Most discussion is limited to the mind, to mental arguments & discussion, the “prove it to me” sentiment often cropping up.
I have literally nothing to offer on that level, as I see spirit & mind as two different aspects of being. Beyond that, from a vital perspective they’re seen to be mutually exclusive. What do I mean by that? The mind is the more limited of the pair. Though we tend to be hugely identified with thought & the workings of our minds, that’s a more superficial aspect of our being, the entirety of which is huge & mind-boggling. The mind is a bit like the epidermis on that.
USING MIND TO EXPLORE
It appears that people have long thought that mind could penetrate the realm of spirit — of the unknown, the unseen, the levels of being that some doubt even exist. The “prove it to me” thing is rampant. People will sense a deep movement in their being, then bring on thought to examine, to evaluate that. The result is often akin to the dog chasing its tail — fun, but rather pointless.
How does one convince them that, on deeper levels of being there abides a realm where thought has no place, where it has no ability to offer anything useful? This is the yawning internal chasm where, absent the willingness to be an adventurer — to explore different perspectives — we remain stagnant. In the absence of the adventuresome spirit, there’s no making the case to those strictly reliant on mind & thought.
SETTING MIND ASIDE
As we penetrate deeper within with a willingness to set mind aside for the journey there is much of great worth awaiting discovery. We’ve all felt the deeper movements, the “messages” from within. To the extent that we were reliant on thought to lead the way, we never arrived. It’s just not possible. Yet, what in life has prepared us for such an understanding, such a possibility? Right, nothing, so far.
What is your worth — to yourself?
Are you worth spending some time with in internal exploration to discover what you might find?
We have two major things working against us in this, one being our outer focus, our tendency to want to please others, the other being our enmeshment in the world of technology. Both of these trap us in mind & the world of externals, so they must be set aside now & then to go adventuring where we’re headed. Are you game?
How much do you appreciate yourself — deeply, truly appreciate who you are, what you bring to the world, to your family — to life? We all have something accessible, deep within, greatly worthy of appreciation & admiration. If you come to recognize either the reality or even the possibility that you, yourself, are Source-in-form, then you know what I mean.
TECHNO INTERFERENCE
Initially, though, perhaps it’s more like making friends with yourself — finding in you something of worth, worthy of your time & attention, for starters. Many view the self in such a negative light that they’re not yet ready to take this step. A surprising number of people would get distinctly uncomfortable if told to both turn their cell phones off & put them in another room for any length of time, just to be alone with themselves.
Computers, phones, & our various tech toys are a new addiction not yet identified by society, but it’s there to be seen — perhaps also within. It’s easy to spot. We’re letting the tech all but run our lives, while it slowly distances us from really close relationships with anyone — yes, including the self. It’s a really strange situation for humanity, perhaps you’d agree.
Yet, let’s look again at the opening proposition — that the world of externals is the world of effects, with consciousness as the origin, as the realm of causation. That would mean that every bit of the chaos we’re witnessing has its source within us, the world acting as our personal mirror. If that sounds too terribly strange, then look within for a moment to see what aspect of the self calls it strange. Might I suggest it’s the mind?
Since the mind is unable to penetrate the deeper layers of our being, then how is mind qualified to make that assessment? You’ve felt your spirit soar, at times — that hugely uplifting feeling — was that a thing of the mind? As we look within, we begin to sort these things out. As they offer great possibilities, it’s a worthy endeavor.
TAKING THE PLUNGE — THE INDIRECT ROUTE
There are two ways to tackle this, one by looking at the various belief systems blocking our deep inner entry — the other by setting mind to the side & doing what we can to ignore it on our way deeper within. It’s a bit of a conundrum. While mind can’t access soul or spirit, yet it’s mind that contains the blocks that prevent us from both knowing what’s there & taking the plunge.
Here’s a useful strategy with which to play around that can offer new avenues of exploration. Rather than deal directly with the various blocking beliefs, such as “I’m only body & mind,” or “I don’t believe in anything you can’t prove to me,” we can take an indirect route.
As our goal is to enter the level of sensing that rides beneath the level of thought, we can seek out some ideas that feel good to us, that somehow resonate. As we remember that we’re just playing with possibilities, we could even treat it like fiction or a myth to explore. That would be at least comforting to the mind, which doesn’t enjoy this sort of exploration.
People tend to really get into their video games, their movie series, & the like — let this be a bit like that, just playing a role, but from your deeper sensing parts, rather than just sticking with the mind. That’s the necessary addition.
One of my most helpful discoveries was to have the actual, direct realization that I don’t truly know anything.
WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW
We only know what we believe, but when we delve deeper we may realize that it’s possible that there could be another way, another answer to whatever it is. How is it even possible to have all of the facts? Then, as we discover those facts, they go through a phase of (mental) interpretation, which is almost impossible to avoid.
Consider, too, that it’s impossible to prove a negative — any negative — again, because it’s not possible to have all of the facts, & only one instance would disprove our current proposition. Most often we build our ideas on a faulty foundation, so with our whole approach being unknowingly wrong-headed, all of our results are suspect. It may be many years before science uncovers the fundamental flaws in our underlying assumptions.
Many would be surprised to learn how many scientists of yesteryear, cited in today’s science & math texts, were actually alchemists, a respectable branch of scientific inquiry in days of old. We’d be surprised, too, at the experiments they conducted, which wouldn’t pass muster in today’s mechanistic world-view. Yet, we’re relying on them for vital discoveries, using their results as scientific facts or theories.
How do we know that those who made the decision to change courses & go the mechanistic route were correct? That’s a huge decision for them to make, perhaps you’d agree — that consciousness, soul, or spirit played no role worth examining — that they’re not even worthy of consideration, except as aspects of our physicality. Some go as far as to say they don’t even exist outside of the body or brain — pretty radical, in my book, anyway. What about yours?
If you’re willing to play a while in this arena, there will be a part two, perhaps more. 😉
Namaste
~♥~
9:50 pm, Saturday 2017/10/28, 1st, Mayan day 8 Road / Eb
