Listening to others too much can be dangerous, it opens us up to great confusion and overwhelm. Interestingly we most often find ourselves seeking answers outside of ourselves in difficult times. We look to others in the hope that they will know ’better’ than we do. There are lots of people, web-sites and television shows out there that make their money because they appear confident, because they seem ‘to have it together’.
Have you considered that their secret is not that they know it all, rather that it is in their confident approach?
Many outwardly confident people experience just as much confusion and self doubt as the rest of us, they simply choose to put on a mask for the world, and we are fooled. We only need to turn our gaze to hollywood to see the masks of beauty, confidence and elitist glamour. However there is a whole market kept alive by telling both sides of the story and revealing the shadows that hide beneath those masks (think LiLo, Brittney). Not so long ago Teri Hatcher took photos of herself sans make-up, she took off her mask. This decision caused widespread publicity and she soon found herself sitting opposite Oprah discussing the topic of reality versus the images we see are bombarded with in the media. The fact that Teri’s move caused so much noise and landed her on Oprah shows us where we are as a society right now. It would seem that we have only just begun to recognise the importance of revealing what exists behind the masks.
The concept of hiding our true selves does not only apply to Hollywood, they’re just a bigger more glitzy and exemplified example of what is occurring in our society. Most people are wearing masks of some sort and many are unaware of it. It is my intention that by raising this topic that you will think twice before believing the answers you seek are beyond you (with the confident looking ones) or that they are on a web-site, a morning show or a magazine. Whilst there are great resources available at our fingertips we MUST remember that that is all they are, tools and resources to help us on our way. Many of them can act as prompts for us to remember what is true for us or to wake us up. Do not let all of that information overwhelm you and make you sleepy, be selective and be criticial in what you choose to take on board, make sure it is right for you.
A simple exercise to help you discern whether or not you choose to use particular advice or tools is to take a few deep breaths, clear your mind and ask your heart- is this helpful? or is this what I need right now? Listen with your heart and trust that when you hear a No or a Yes that there is a good reason for that, one that your mind will probably not understand or validate. Your mind will try to trick you into believing that the more information you have the better off you will be, or that everyone else knows more than you and you will be lost without them. This is your minds way of trying to help, but when your mind becomes dominant and your heart is not getting a fair say, it’s time to reverse the trend and trust in your heart and allow your mind to follow it’s lead. This practice of following your hearts lead and looking within for answers will indeed fuel your inner light.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the topic, let me know how you are listening to your heart and choosing not to follow the masses! Or just let me know how you intend to give this a try. You can find me on Twitter, share a comment here or send an e-mail. Wishing you much strength & peace in your journey!
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