One well known early Greek quote is: “know thy self.” Another, maybe lesser known quote from the Tao Te Ching is: He who knows others is wise; He who knows himself is enlightened; He who conquers others is strong; He who conquers himself is mighty…”
These are oft quoted, but how can we know ourselves? What is there to know? And where does one start?
Aristotle said: “To be conscious that we are perceiving or thinking is to be conscious of our own existence.”
Many of us stumble through life, unaware of the self imposed walls we carry in our minds. We are not awake to the life that ebbs and flows around us, let alone the life that ebbs and flows in and through us.
Much is hidden in our subconscious. Les Brown quotes an example in his book: “Live Your Dreams” of a woman who lived on a hair trigger. It wasn’t till she spoke with another person who led her to a support group for the grown children of reformed alcoholics. This opened doors for the woman to understand her behaviours and then begin to change them.
Another example is given by Avril Carruthers in her book: “Let your past Go and LIVE“. In it she relates a story of a troubled young man. The troubles start after he is in a accident and is knocked off his bike. The boys subconscious picks up words while he is lying unconscious in the road. These words are then applied by his subconscious throughout his life. These words, taken out of context by his subconscious, cause him pain and grief until this problem is uncovered and he is able to put this past event into context and move on to a better, more fulfilling life.
Sometimes we are given a wake-up call – a illness, a brush with death, loss; the list goes on. But not always. Some of us are seekers. A hunger that is within driving us to seek some truth.
Seek the answers within. The challenge to know what tools to use….The right tools in the right hands are very powerful.
until next time
metta
Garth
