Monday, January 29, 2018

FOLLOW YOUR INNER VOICE



"Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive. Along with which comes the inner voice which says; 'this is the real me', and when you have found that attitude, then follow it."
                                                                                        
This quotation by William James, the great American Physician, Psychologist and Philosopher, considered by many to be the father of American Psychology, stands out like a compass pointing to correct human behavior and attitude. It is a powerful platform for individuals interested in self-awareness and self-help, and as a result, is very often incorporated in the advice and recommendations of all the great inspirational speakers.

In this simple statement, James was able to project the fundamental components that make up any successful action. The steps he recommended are clear and uncompromising and are based on a few fundamental principles. You must begin by finding something which kindles your interest and desires, then you must be sure of your willingness to commit yourself and your spirit, and when you have, then follow your mind to fulfillment.

To a very large extent, the success or failure of any individual behavior depends entirely on the strengths of the attitude, the belief and the commitment he brings to bear at the given time. We all have within us the capacity to improve our lives if we really wanted to do so, but whether we succeed or not depends entirely on if we care enough and are we willing to do what is necessary to achieve it. I am sure that we have all seen instances when people have surmounted enormous obstacles to achieve success and we stand amazed at their ability.  But the real underlying truth in all these situations lies not in luck or any special personal ability, but in the depth of commitment, the unwavering attitude and the belief in self, exhibited by the individual.

For as long as man has survived on the planet there have been instances of people rising above their perceived limitations and succeeding by dint of commitment and self-searching, and by listening to their inner voice when every one around gave up on them. People like:

 -Vincent Van Gogh, one of the world’s most successful artists, whose work was rejected by every one, yet he persisted.
     
Albert Einstein, one of the greatest mathematicians of all time who never spoke until age 3 and was considered by his teachers to be lazy and useless in childhood.

Helen Keller, who despite a debilitating deaf-blind affliction at age 2 years, learned to read and write and went on to obtain a college bachelor degree.

 Beethoven, one of the most respected of the classical composers who lost his hearing early in his life, but continued on to produced immortal classics.

These are but a few of the large number of people who successfully overcame serious obstacles and achieved their dreams of glory. They followed their inner voices and listened to them as they trusted their intuition to lead them in the correct direction. All of this served to give them a strength of conviction and empowered them to go forward undaunted with belief in themselves and their ability.

Every one of us does in fact, possess the potential and ability to achieve our dream, but unfortunately because of our conditioning to avoid risk and failure, we naturally chose the path of least resistance. We end up choosing the safer option of care and trepidation and listen to the voice of fear and caution rather than accept the challenges and go forward with confidence. It is no surprise that we can only feel comfortable in this society built on conformity and the avoidance of risk-taking by suppressing our instincts. In this setting, any one who tries to alter the rules or tries to challenge them is discouraged by the rest. In fact those who try to follow their dream are criticized or frowned upon as an attempt to live differently.

The result of this effect on the majority, having been conditioned by the prevailing influences of constant negative past experiences and the need to keep within safe and risk-free waters, is that our inner voice remains buried deep in our psyche under mountains of inadequacies and insecurities. When this happens, when we lose that inner voice, we become passive followers of the prevailing influences and we are lost in the safety of the crowd, never to appreciate what our true worth is.

But this state need never exist with any one of us, if we only remember that in the end it always remains up to us individually, to do what is necessary to initiate and institute the changes needed to ‘find’ our inner voice and listen to it and be our true selves. James himself very effectively summarizes this attitude in the following way:
“Be not afraid of life.
Believe that life is worth living,             
And your belief will help create the fact.”

-No truer words have ever been said by anybody who genuinely cares!


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