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115th International Peace Meditation “You’ll Know When You Need to Know”
“You’ll Know When You Need to Know”
July 2, 2006 — Spiritual work requires the one on the spiritual journey to take a step, and then, wait for further direction. This is the opposite of strategic planning that most of us are familiar with in our daily work lives.
What is your plan for your life? Where do you see yourself in five years? What are your long-range and short-range goals? What are your steps for accomplishing your goals? Who can help you? Where will you begin?
All of these are questions we have pondered as we planned our careers. Sometimes life has intervened, and we’ve taken lateral steps, or a step backward before continuing on. But, most successful people have a plan to get them where they want to go. Success, in terms of financial rewards, does not generally come to us by accident. We plan. We pick a career area, choose the education and experience that fits with that area, find mentors to assist us, and plan each move against our strategic objective.
Does it feel right? Will it take me to the next step? How long should I plan to remain at this level before trying to move ahead? What do I need to know? What experience is required at the next level? How do I know if this is the correct choice for me and for my family?
When one moves ahead in one’s career, it is usually not by accident or luck. It is generally the result of careful planning, risk-taking, and a sense of oneself that, even if one fails, one can be resilient. Resilience is often the key to who succeeds, and who stops, afraid to take further risks.
This is not the case for the one on the spiritual path. Strategic plans don’t work. In fact, they are likely to lead one away from one’s purpose. Let’s consider this in light of one’s career, and one’s Work.
One’s Work is what one came here to accomplish. It is fulfilling a sense of mission. It is feeling at peace with one’s decisions in spite of the admonishments of some who feel that one’s life is being wasted, one is underachieving, or one is not on a career path. It may mean not going with the flow, resisting the temptation of titles and money, and doing what one Knows one must do. It can be very confusing to those who watch without understanding the basis for one’s decisions. But it is the path some must choose if they are to attain peace of mind.
The one on the spiritual path makes decisions differently. It requires patience. It requires living without a strategic plan. It requires making a decision when one feels one must, and waiting for the right time when others are urging one to hurry. It requires knowing what one Knows. How can we do that? It means living differently than the societal mainstream. It means knowing what we need to know when we need to know it.
The first lesson I learned that I fall back on frequently is, “If it’s not a yes, it’s a no.” When faced with uncertainty, especially when faced with something that I want to do, the answer to my question as to whether to take the step at this time is, “If it’s not a yes, it’s a no.” The other lesson I learned is to separate myself by being objective. This is done by mentally getting into a place, referred to as becoming “detached”, where I can acknowledge whether I am being motivated by fear or preference. Either fear, or preference, can color my perception, and take me in a wrong direction. I meditate, turn that decision over to my internal instincts I prefer to call Knowing, and seek the answer that comes without the influence of either fear, or preference.
Recently I had to make a decision about a leadership position. My first reaction was influenced by fear. Can I do it? Will I be successful? I felt reluctance to say yes. Later, I found that I really wanted to take the position. Of course I could do it! My confidence was restored, and I was looking at what I’d already done to reassure myself that I would be successful. Now I thought that the answer was yes. For a few days, I remained confused. Since I rely on Internal Guidance for my answers, I waited. Finally, I realized that the answer was, not now. It wasn’t a clear yes, or no. Clearly, it wasn’t a yes, so it was still a no, but something didn’t feel definitive. After much internal confusion, I realized that this step may be on my spiritual path, but the timing is wrong. The feelings of peace came when I realized, “not yet” was the answer.
When I meet new people, and they hear about the Institute, I generally hear the question, “Why did you decide to found the International Institute For Human Empowerment?” My answer comes out of my sense of Knowing. In my whole life I felt I had no power. Life circumstances were such that I had little control, or so I felt. Then my life began to change. I took charge. I chose to be with people who treated me differently. I learned self-respect, and then commanded respect. It has been a long journey, and, like all of us, gets challenged daily. Living an empowered life is different. Decisions come from within, and one feels strong. One has strength when the challenges come, especially those for whom financial gain is the proof of success. Why would one with credentials and experience choose the not-for-profit sector with an emphasis on service, and the need for financial support primarily just to get the job done? It’s not that those on the spiritual path must live without means; it’s that their decision feels right to them, and they can stand up to the challenges of others.
Knowing what to do, what to say, when to move in a direction and when to wait, can come from following what one Knows. It takes away internal confusion. It puts one on one’s own spiritual path. It helps one take one’s life experiences, regardless of how painful they have been, and use them for good. It gives one a sense of internal peace.
“You’ll Know when you need to know.” If you don’t know the answer to your question, meditate, and then wait to know. One of my favorite ways to know is to meditate briefly before going to sleep, asking for an answer. Often, when I awake, I know. But, Knowing isn’t always easy, and it requires patience. It may not make us popular, but it will keep us on our spiritual path. Knowing what we Know is Life in action. We don’t need to have a particular religious belief, or any belief at all. Using Internal Guidance, or making decisions based upon our own profound instinct, is available to all. It is not dependent on any belief system. It is reliant upon our daily practice of making decisions in this manner. And, when we make a wrong decision, it is necessary to look back and ask ourselves whether we made that decision out of fear, or preference. Was it only for our ego, or was it for spiritual purpose? And then, it requires us to learn from the mistake.
We will Know when we need to know. We can count on Knowledge, or profound instinct, within us. And, when we think about it, why would we want to accept a decision for ourselves made any other way?
Sue Kidd Shipe, Ph.D.
Executive DirectorThe Institute is preparing to launch its first in a series of Select Empowerment Seminars, and publish the findings. The first one, for which we are seeking funding from grants, and contributions from individuals, will be, “Making the Invisible Visible: Fibromyalgia and Other Invisible Illnesses”. Other illnesses may include Chronic Fatigue, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and other central processing syndromes, which affect millions with debilitating pain and fatigue-with no known cause or cure. It is to those, the Silent Suffering, that this International Peace Meditation is dedicated.
Please make a contribution or pledge of $50, $100, $500, $1000, or more to the Institute to address these syndromes, which result in high levels of disability with the future potential to over-burden our social security disability system. More importantly, contribute so that we can find help for those who suffer in silence, without the strength to advocate for themselves.
Please join us in prayer/meditation from wherever you happen to be on July 2, and again during the 24 hours of the first Sunday of every month. Send this e-mail on to all in your address book, and share our messages of empowerment. Visit our website at www.humanempowerment.org and participate in this important mission. Thank you.
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International Institute For Human Empowerment, Inc.
P.O. Box 3920
Albany, New York 12203 USA
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International Institute For Human Empowerment, Inc.The International Institute For Human Empowerment, Inc. is a
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Sue Kidd Shipe, Executive Director
International Institute For Human Empowerment, Inc.
P. O. Box 3920
Albany, New York 12203 USA
(518) 393-9491
sueshipe@www.humanempowerment.org
www.humanempowerment.org
