The outcomes of what we do are not a result of what we do, but of our motivation. The motto of the deeper place is “leave no self behind.” It has the time, space, and power to consider—with great care—all the internal voices with respect to taking action, rather than merely allowing the ones that consistently demand our attention and talk over the subtler, but often sublime considerations. Those subtle ones, more often than not, are the ones that can take us where we want to go. This is because where we want to go is invariably subtle and sublime, rather than urgent, panicked, loud, and demanding.
Still, the demanding voice is important to address because it often carries survival instructions with it. The mind wants to use these survival instincts to protect us, but in doing so we lose track of feeling the heart and beauty. Our instinct for self-protection will tell us that listening to any other interior voice is irrelevant at best, and at worst, perilous.
The best approach is to acknowledge the voice that tells us we’re in danger so it knows it has been received. When that happens, it will relax and come over to our side where we can then allow the other voices their due audience. They will usually speak to us of things like art, beauty, meaning, and the profound—all the voices that can get drowned out by the urgency of the material demands of production.
When well-handled, the demanding voice becomes our best ally and faithful servant, walking beside us to shepherd back all the stray, untended-to voices that give life meaning.
