“The role of a writer is not to say what we can say, but what we are unable to say.” — Anais Nin
Given we are sometimes unable to face ourselves with the unvarnished truth at whatever stage in life we are, it is necessary for us to continue growth on any level. Oh yes, of course, we can continue to make the usual advancements that appear to our fellow man as addressing those personal issues in which we are aware, but beneath that surface of lying to ourselves, is the truth. It’s tough to admit your failures, inadequacies, intolerance, inhibitions, confusion, conflict and lack of courage. Once we stop the lies that keep us in a state of static convolution, clarity evolves. Sir Walter Scott put it another way with these familiar words, “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” Most especially to ourselves.
Avoiding the inevitable, by side-stepping the necessary work that needs to be done in order to set ourselves free from the misconception of who we think we are, is a daunting challenge. The first step is to recognize the need to clean house, followed by the conscious desire and commitment to change. At first the experience may seem beyond awkward, but the Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa states that “… to be in the human realm is to be stuck in a huge traffic jam of discursive thought. How can we hear the knock at the door with all of that going on?” For some the response is simply to get out of your own way . . . consciously.
Becoming conscious of your thoughts, actions, and intentions may be a shocker for some because many people have been reacting and not responding to life, and the circumstances that have followed due to their choices or decisions. All to often some of us easily criticize our family, friends and loved ones while failing to understand where this harsh behavior originates. In my experience, the answer may lie in a quote by Howard Thurman, “It is very easy to sit in judgment upon the behavior of others, but often difficult to realize that every judgment is a self-judgment.”
Mastery encompasses the ascendancy or victory in struggle or competition, the upper hand, and expert skill or knowledge. When applied to consciousness, it is necessary to understand the basic principles of where you are . . . now. A willingness to change the direction of your consciousness when applied to your life happens in a heartbeat, and nothing will stop the movement of your choice. It can and will happen for you, making your life profoundly transformed from mediocrity to a mastery of conscious growth. From The Inner World of Choice by Frances G. Wickes comes this quote: ”The art of living is, in its essential meaning, a development and transformation of the power of inward choice. Its products are fashioned in the workshop of the soul.” JLR