Quote of the Day – May 17 2012

“Don’t be intimidated by other people’s opinions. Only mediocrity is sure of itself, so take risks and do what you really want to do.”
–Paulo Coelho

Why do we care so much what others think? For so long I believed what everyone told me.  It definitely made my teenage years hell. I gave everyone space in my head without charging rent.  I started curing myself of this by running away at seventeen and joining  a religious cult. For five months I tried my best to make myself into what other people who told me they loved me told me I should be. Even when I saw contradictions in their own characters I tried to force myself into the shape of their ‘loving instructions’.  One day I had had enough and had a strong sense of the THIS IS WRONG’s. I left and returned cross country to my home. I was shattered. My belief system had fallen and it couldn’t get up.

Now I was back to people telling me familiar opinions of how reality was. The only difference was that now neither their version nor the cult’s version worked for me. I tried charismatic catholicism. Wow this was cool.  I find few things as attractive as pure faith. However it can be pretty awkward being the only person in church who isn’t speaking in tongues. Strike one more off the list.

Over the ensuing decades I tried to force myself into so many different shapes, each suggested by others. Gradually I came to realize that just by virtue of being open to so many, I was flying in the face of almost all of them. They all seemed to have some truth to them and work (to various degrees) for those practicing them but how could all be right. These thoughts formed in my head quite awhile before I started reading Ken Wilber and other Integral writers. Somewhere along the line I developed a sense of humour about it all that helped. I still might throw myself into something headfirst but now at least I realized that it probably wasn’t THE answer and almost definitely was only part of My Answer but I went into things honouring the people following them and open to whatever would come.

A large part of what I wanted to do was to understand. From very early on I grasped that understanding how a person defined the universe and themselves in relationship to the universe was a key component in understanding the person and so the more beliefs I can understand, the more people. They all can be given a voice as long as my inner voice, the one that speaks quietest remains paramount.

Blessings, G

Click on images to see full-size

Rise by G A Rosenberg

Eye Journey by G A Rosenberg

4 thoughts on “Quote of the Day – May 17 2012”

  1. “They all can be given a voice as long as my inner voice, the one that speaks quietest remains paramount.” … the perfect ending! It’s that still small voice that counts! Great post 🙂

  2. trusting inner guidance is really scary when we are taught to obey, and do as the consensus says, or when insecurities loom, and others seem to be so charismatic and knowing. i relate in my own way, to knowing which inner voices are not my own, and turning them out. trusting self has been the lesson for me. baby steps and also, plunges, depending 🙂

    1. There is so much to be said for wisdom of discernment when it comes to our inner voices yet I’ve found most of the time my heart knows. Thank you so much for your comment

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