"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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