Tapping into Your Own, Unique Self-Help Guru: How to Make the Universe Work for You
Posted: Monday, March 03, 2008
by Jeff Brown
Inner Projection
Or How to Find the Airport when You're Lost and Don't Have Time to Stop and Ask for Directions
One day, I was rushing to get my wife to the airport on time. Since it was an international flight, the general rule-according to my wife-is to get there three hours before the flight's scheduled departure time. As I drove past the airport exit, we were about two hours from takeoff.
Anyway, I am not a worrier, so I didn't panic. And I'm OK with arriving at the airport one hour before domestic flights, so I was OK with two hours before an international flight. My wife? A different story. She was squirming in her seat like her pants were on fire . . . with no extinguisher in sight.
I got off the next exit and turned right to circle back towards the airport. I knew that with my wife panicking, it probably would be better if I could just find the airport without taking up any additional time. I see the men smiling. Yes, I would do what any man would: find it on his own.
I was somewhat familiar with the area but not intimately so-just a touch of familiarity, at best. Regardless, with my wife doing her best flopping-fish impersonation, was I going to stop and ask for directions? Like I said, I'm a guy. But I do not ask for directions because of pride but because it's more of a challenge to find where I'm going by myself. I see all the men nodding their heads (ladies, stop tisk-tisking and lend some support). What type of life-lesson can you get from stopping to ask for directions, anyway? By doing so, can you learn how to overcome fear? (See wife's raised fist in passenger seat) How to hone your primitive tracking skills? Tap into that call-of-the-wild need to be true to thine own self-the essence of the priceless male / animal instinct that we've all lost? OK. I'm riffing here . . . but you get the point. That is a topic for another session.
Regardless, this wasn't why I wasn't stopping for directions. By this time I was able to use my inner radar, my personal GPS. (More on this later) I approached a stoplight and my inner voice told me to take a left. I did. A mile later on the right was a sign for the airport, the first one I'd seen since going astray. I took the turn and within a few minutes found the airport. We parked across from the terminal that housed the airline we were looking for. At this point, we were down to about one hour before departure.
We took her things out of the trunk, crossed the road that separated the parking structure from the airport terminal and hit the sidewalk. Looking left and right we found no sign posted with the name of the airline we were looking for, so my wife took off and I simply followed. At this point, my inner GPS spoke up: "Wrong. Go back." I told my wife to go the other way. She must have felt something because she didn't argue. She can usually tell when I'm on the right track. Within a few minutes, there was the name of the airline we were looking for on a sign above the sidewalk.
We went through the doors and began to walk to our left. I saw an elevator and knew we had to take it to the second floor. When the doors opened, I knew we had to go to the right. Within minutes we saw the airline. My wife checked in and made her flight on time.
Now I am not saying that this is Crossing Over with Jeff Brown. I don't even want a TV show. (One of the reasons I got out of comedy-couldn't see myself being a one-trick pony. But that's another story.) And I don't pretend to be a parlor act. The reason I mention this story is we, all of us, can enhance our inner intuitive voice, our sixth sense, our connection with the divine with practice and patience. This part of us is underdeveloped, a part that has been overlooked to a great degree in this overly material and busy, fast passed world. And the name of it is the spiritual. Yes, of the non John Edwards variety (No cold reading here). What is counseled here is just a more practiced attempt to re-familiarize ourselves with the intuitive, the sixth sense, the divine, if you will.
Now I know what you're asking: why is this important to me? (You're so selfish. But I'll overlook it. I do it for me. I can do it for you). Why is it essential to tap into this intuitive voice? (From here on in, I'll refer to this phenomenon as the intuitive.) But to answer this question, first we must ask, what is at the core of this intuitive voice? What are its characteristics? And, ultimately, how can it help you? Just like learning how a radio works, one must first pull it apart, label its parts, know how they work and interact, and then put it back together; it would be beneficial to take apart the intuitive, to explore it, look at it from a few more angles.
Do you remember when you were a child? Way back. Think five or six years old. We'll go with this age because many don't remember back further. Do you remember sitting around for hours with little other than your imagination and a few props: toys, a cardboard box, a vacuum, a mop. Now your mind may not have been too developed at this point, so it actually took little to entertain you (kind of like now with the remote and the TV; however, the worry and presence of those bills keep us from indulging). But here I'm more interested in your creative mind, your ability to believe in the impossible way back then. You weren't hampered by facts or science, or a basic understanding of reality, or hampered by a common belief that it's "the way it is," as in "Well, that's just the way it is." (A statement that needs to be deleted permanently from the minds of all humans who desire hope through alternative possibilities.)
Now, let's get back to the kid in all of us, shall we? To illustrate my point about how young minds are abounding with exiting possibilities, remember when every experience was full of excitement? Even going on a picnic to The Devil's Hop Yard with your friend and his mom was an adventure. Remember those un-jaded days? Let me give you an example of how freely your mind worked then.
I was visiting a friend one day. At the time, her daughter was about eight years old. While talking to my friend, her daughter, out of thin air, pulled down the question, "Mommy? When I die, will I dream of dinosaurs?" Do you see the brilliance in this statement? If it were you or me, our minds cramped by years of those telling us what we can and can not do (parents, teachers, snotty schoolmates, snotty bosses), this hindering, damaging our creative voice to, sadly, become quieter and quieter. To the point where it's like a church mouse asking the priest to open the main door that outweighs him ten-thousand to one because he's forgotten he can dig holes through walls. But the priest doesn't speak mouse, so he's stuck inside forever, without hope, without food, without friends or family. They're all on the other side of the door waiting, not able to tell him that he's just got to believe and then he'll remember what he had forgotten so long ago.
Is this you? Is your day dull? Null and void of excitement? Interest? Intrigue? Instinct? Is stimulation something that comes only when you're late for work? And in your effort to save some time, you've cut off oncoming traffic and almost take an eighteen-wheeler head on? Shame on you. That's no way to get your kicks. Think of the kids, your spouse, your grandchildren, grandchildren to be, and find that excitement again through safer means, your imagination, your creative / intuitive voice. This is where the greatest, safest stimulation, and, interestingly enough, self-worth comes from (more on this later in the article). But the intuitive, the creative is more than just entertainment, even though that's a good place to start because one can't discover much about the self half asleep at the wheel.
I can tell you this, boldly, without hesitation or doubt, that if you don't go back and find or re-find that voice-work on it, with it-then you will continue to lack fulfillment, regardless of how happy or content you may think you are. There are those who have become super successful in their field and all the incumbent rewards: money, freedom, prestige, and so on. However, there are many with great gobs of money who are not much different from those without. Ask Robin Leach. According to him, the common denominators to his guests were not only rich and famous but miserable. Let's take a look at what an expert has to say on the subject. According to David Myers, PhD, professor of Hope College, Holland, Mich.:
"Even very rich people--the Forbes' 100 wealthiest Americans surveyed by University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener--are only slightly happier than average.(3) With net worths all exceeding $100 million, providing ample money to buy things they don't need and hardly care about, 4 in 5 of the 49 people responding to the survey agreed that "Money can increase OR decrease happiness, depending on how it is used." And some were indeed unhappy. However, one fabulously wealthy man said he could never remember being happy. One woman reported that money could not undo misery caused by her children's problems. Examples of the wretched wealthy are not hard to come by: Howard Hughes, Christina Onassis, J.Paul Getty" (David Myers, PhD, psychology, Hope College, Holland, Mich.).
Of course I don't mean to poo-poo the rich, for they've made many of us happy with lots of nice products and monies that feed our growing economy. But the bottom line here is that it's not about the amount of money you have but what's in your head.
Let's explore this point a little deeper.
Remember that we are trying to discover what is at the core of the intuitive voice so that we can better understand how vital it is to our basic existence. And yes, this intuitive voice, a cousin of play, is essential to adults. Therapists may tell you that it's important for adults to play to lessen stress, to enable one to find what it is that they want to do with their lives-finding vocation through avocation. But there is a lot more to it than this simple, safe pop-psychology states. This creativity, this play (the child relating to the eternal spirit) is at the core of your temporal and eternal health. More on this later in this article. Let's move on.
Being childlike is essential to the intuitive, the creative voice. So to understand this we have to ask, what is it that which we admire about children? Why are there so many advocates of children? You can check out celebrity causes and find that eighty, ninety percent support children's causes. For example, love her or not, Angelina Jolie, interestingly, knew shortly after seeing the children that she eventually adopted that she would bring them home with her. She was touched by their need, their plight, and innocence. And it is this precious innocence that we desire to protect in children that we need to protect in the child within all of us. But why? Why is this important?
The intuitive / creative voice is tied into the child. There is great power in the child or child-like individual. Consider that in fantasy, these stories often use children or child-like protagonists who overcome the antagonist or evil without the use of great strength, great intelligence, power, wealth, connections. They overcome all the odds through what? Their purity of heart. Look at Frodo in Lord of the Rings, or the children, the Pevensies, in the Chronicles of Narnia. It is the children's innocence and goodness or purity of heat that enables them to tap into the benevolent power that aids them in overcoming the witch to reign benevolently for years as kings and queens. It is only through being pure of heart that Frodo is able to overcome evil. It is only through purity of heart that the children are able to gain or acquire more power and overcome the evil. Or we can look at Neo in the Matrix, a young man yet childlike-humble and teachable. Only by developing his power through a desire to reach out and aid those in dire need does he overcome the machines and set his people free. And the key word here is develop. We all have the intuitive / creative childlike ability in us, but for most, it needs to not only be called up but practiced over and over to strengthen and protect the possessor-YOU. We all must practice using our imagination, like children, to strengthen our intuitive / creative voice. But how do we know this? Let me break it down. Bear with me. This will all come together.
This country was founded on freedom, the freedom of all men and women, ideally, regardless of race, color, creed, to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Notice that the Declaration of Independence doesn't say happiness, as in it being merely handed to you (you have to work for it), but its pursuit. And the key word here is independence, for if we are not given the platform, the ability to work independently, if we are restricted in any way against our will, we will not be in the best situation or be able to maximize our potential to create. Einstein said that without creativity knowledge (or anything) would not exist. All that you see around you (yes, even you) began as a thought. And it is essential that we free our minds from that which inhibits restriction of thought. That's why it is essential that we stay away from situations that destroy our creative playground (our mind) and hinder us from reaching our potential, emotionally, socially, politically, intellectually, spiritually, and financially. In this country we have the best opportunity to play feely, to allow the child within the opportunity and room to express itself-an essential element to your growth and a great blessing indeed. Consider that beyond the basic needs of physical safety, food, and shelter is the need to be free. If we are not free then we can not pursue our happiness, and if we don't free the child within we can not reach our true potential. Now let's take a specific look at what more we can do to free the intuitive / creative voice to maximize its potential.
One thing we need is time. If we don't first and foremost set aside time, we will never have the opportunity to benefit from the intuitive / creative voice. This is easier said than done and something that requires greater development, which will be done later in this article. Next, one needs a clear pathway for the intuitive / creative mind to move down. This is done by getting rid of negative thought, once again, more difficult to do than say, especially considering that eighty percent of our thoughts are negative, thoughts about ourselves or others. It is an uphill battle; however, one that can and needs to be won. What are the negative thoughts specifically? Remember, that in order to be successful, you need to be very specific in your goals. Some negative thoughts or acts to avoid are anger, gossip, contempt, disrespect, sarcasm, lying, cheating, stealing, procrastinating, sloth, coveting (wanting that which is not yours or currently lack the resources or ability to get), and so on.
Sound like the commandments, don't they? Now most may feel that they are a restriction, but if followed they are actually the earmarks to great freedoms. Besides, does anyone like someone who is a liar, cheat, thief, murderer, who is disrespectful to parents? And so on. If you follow the above advice, negating the negatives and accentuate the positives (there's a song there somewhere) then you can tap into the abundant blessings of the universe. But the universe is a demanding task master. There are none who become and stay successful who don't rid themselves of a majority of these characteristics and emotions. And it only makes sense because you need to be of a positive mindset, disciplined, and focused to excel and exceed many common human failings.
So once you've freed up some time and you've freed up your mind, gotten away from the majority of the negative, you must sit down and play, be creative. Now don't think that you can't do it. When we were younger, we were all great players. What has happened is that you've gotten out of practice. And if you play enough, you will eventually tap into the intuitive / creative voice, that which the universe loves, for once you do, once you trust in it, have faith in its power, amazing things will begin to occur. But you must practice, practice, practice, and persist.
Unfortunately, the universe is a difficult task master and makes you earn a lot that you desire to achieve. And this is as it should be, for what do we gain of importance from getting that which we want without effort. It may feel good to get something for free-something for nothing-but if this persists, you will end up working harder and harder at feeling good about yourself through your haze of lay about and folly. And even though you may obtain a modicum of success, the universe shortly stops rewarding those who sit back without effort for too long. Those who are wealthy know this, and even though they may have money for a dozen life times, not working is not an option.
Consider George Forman of the famous George Forman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine. At one time, he was a famous, wealthy boxer. Most of you know this. However, most don't know why he works like a dog, even though he's made hundreds of millions of dollars. After losing his fortune from boxing (about one third of what he has made on his grill), he made a pact with God that if he made well selling grills he would never stop working. This is a common characteristic of the wealthy. There are many a millionaire who does not rest on his or her laurels. Why? Maybe they like what they do, sure. But the biggie is that they know how the universe works, and if you take off too much time to simply play, you may play away all your money. Careful Charles Barkley, Vegas is the underbelly of that kind part of the universe lurking, looking to take your fortunes. But let's get back to a more grounded subject. The matter at hand.
As you continue to use and trust in the intuitive / creative voice it will begin to give you insights, wisdom you never knew or forgotten you had. You will receive solutions to problems (school, family, career) that you weren't able to obtain before. And you will begin to heal or feel better, feel the cathartic healing that comes with the intuitive voice. And don't forget that it is not all about being an adult, either. Don't be afraid to write a song, a story, paint, sing, dance, wherever you desire to play, for here you will find great rewards too, insights that only the unencumbered childlike mind can come up with. Why do you think so many of the great geniuses have a great sense of humor? They know the source of their creative genius, the child inside. Nurture it and watch it and your life flower and grow.
Hey Jeff, I just figured out why I love being around children and working with them. They remind me, on a daily basis that the child in me must remain at the forefront of my life. It's so much fun to "Free your mind and the rest will follow" En vogue. So, thanks for your article. To truly enjoy it, one must already be living it or they wouldn't understand. There are way too many stiff lips and stuffy pants out there. Jeannie WalkerHow right you are. It's about being in the mix, so to speak, where one learns best. Thanks for the insight. God bless.
