What do you really trust?

     "In God We Trust" is emblazoned upon American money.

     Most of us have strong opinions about our own beliefs. Many identify with a major belief system, perhaps attend regular services within that system, and more or less adhere to its rules and customs. This is the extent of "religion" or "spiritual life" for most people.

     What actually directs their lives via thoughts, speech & behavior, their "internal compass", may be very different that what they publicly proclaim, or even privately admit to themselves.

     "The unexamined life is not worth living."             Socrates

     How familiar are we with our "internal compass"? After all, doesn't what we, in the deepest recesses of our subconscious believe about ourselves and how we relate to the universe, guide our every thought, word and action? We may think we believe in, and thus behave (reasonably consistently) according to X, yet anyone who knows us may see a dramatically different picture eg an unhappy, cynical workaholic! Most of us in fact have a profound disconnect between our obvious outer lives, and our hidden (even from ourselves) inner lives.

     In contrast, congruence is when our inner world seamlessly, consciously manifests in our outer behavior. A very select number of wise, fully-integrated people reach this level of being, after a lifetime of dedicated inner work. 

     There's a huge tendency to allow the "momentum of our lives" to carry us along in a trance. Many fear what they would encounter should they do any form of introspection, such as meditation. This fear gives rise to all sorts of uninformed avoidance behaviors. Yet we know very well how essential it is to become consciously aware of our subconscious.
     Our individual specific history contains all the ingredients or inputs (causes & conditions) of our subconscious, so it's  completely natural, normal for each of us, and therefore acceptable - no need for fear, guilt or avoidance. By becoming conscious of this material, the force of its ability to drive our life progressively diminishes, and our ability to make conscious, mature, appropriate choices progressively increases. This clarity of vision, seeing our self-concept and worldview as it is, is the goal of meditation.

"Unity" by artist Andrea Smith   http://www.andreasmithgallery.com/