Fear of Becoming You
by Lah-May
Have you ever had intense emotions and ideas spinning in your head,
knew there was a song or poem there, but as soon as pen went to paper
the thoughts and ideas evaporated and left you wondering about what you
should cook for dinner or how many loads of laundry you still needed to
do? Instead of re-focusing on higher ideals, you put pen and paper down
so you could put in a load of laundry, grab a snack, get comfy on the
couch, and then turn on the TV. While there is a time to tend to
physical maintenance and relaxation, there should also be a time for
inner exploration and productive creativity.
What is that phobia that causes so many to hold themselves back? Modern
phraseology would probably describe it as “fear of success.” But for
the ecologically-minded, globally-conscious, non-capitalist
individuals, that phobia definition brings with it visions of
money-making seminars run by 3-piece suited clones and reeks of
selfishness, narrow-mindedness, and conformity to the norms of the
dominant culture. (Been there, done that—can you tell?) Yet even for
those who consider themselves progressive thinkers, there are probably
many who avoid pursuing their highest ideals, who hold themselves back
from “going for it.” What do I mean by “it”? Abraham Maslow describes
it as self-actualization: “Self actualization is the intrinsic growth
of what is already in the organism, or more accurately, of what the
organism is.” The words that come to my mind are “one’s true destiny.”
The following quote has been attributed to Nelson Mandela:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
If we have a belief in an all-powerful, all-perfect, all-wise Creator, and we couple this belief with a knowingness that we are His creation, what potentials are within us? How can we actualize them? What does He want us to do with our lives? While I cannot speak for Him, I doubt He wants us sitting in front of a television absorbing Big Brother’s mindset into our own. I also doubt that He wants us working at a job that doesn’t actualize those potentials He has gifted us with.
Big Brother doesn’t need to watch us; we just turn on the TV and watch Big Brother.
~ Gabriel of Sedona
Unfortunately,
the dominant culture makes it difficult, if not nearly impossible, to
move into our destiny. In order to have a roof over one’s head, food in
the fridge, heat in the house, a vehicle to get from place to place
(usually home to work and back again), a person has to become part of
the dominant culture—generally, work for a company that’s not
contributing anything to the betterment of humankind or to the planet.
Can you imagine what this world would be like if all the employees of
companies like Monsanto, Bechtel, and GE had quantum leap epiphanies
and quit their jobs? (Believe it or not, I’m hoping this will happen
since I really don’t think corporations that cause havoc on humanity
and the environment have a place in this world.1) The
Cosmic Family, Volume I
advocates individuals lending their talents to a higher purpose,
particularly to the cosmic family they have been with in a past life
and helped to start a renaissance.
Can you
then imagine people turning away from the so-called “leaders” of today
and turning to the true leaders who will assist them in actualizing
their destinies—leaders who won’t compromise with greed and
selfishness, leaders who won’t use them and enslave them in a system
that benefits so few? I’m not only hoping this will happen, being a
member of a community founded on the principles of Divine
Administration, I see it happen every day on a small scale. What I’m
hoping for is it will happen on a larger scale—and soon!
In the meantime, while we’re waiting for this quantum leap in higher
consciousness, what can little ol’ us do to begin actualizing who we
are meant to be. There is no formula, no one program suits all, but
there are some practical steps that can be taken to expand our
consciousness and lessen the fears of self-discovery.
• Turn off the TV. I was once somewhat addicted to television. I got over my addiction by moving to a place that had no satellite, cable, or even an antenna. I not only didn’t have any withdrawal symptoms, I didn’t miss it at all. With more free time available and less garbage cluttering my mind, I was able to read more, write more, and research topics that are never covered by corporate media. I got to a place where I could then choose what I wanted. And, after being off of junk-TV, believe me, you never want to go back.
• Take time to pray everyday. Push out selfish thoughts and requests, and ask for direction. And remember to take the time to listen for an answer—no it won’t be an auditory response, but more likely a knowingness that will settle in your heart as to what God wants you to do next in your life.
• Put inspiring words and truths into your mind. To help you de-confuse your mind, there is epochal revelation available on this planet—The URANTIA Book and The Cosmic Family volumes, also known as the Fifth Epochal Revelation and Continuing Fifth Epochal Revelation; indescribable blessings to this planet. Encouragement can be found too in the writings and art of others who share their very human experiences and struggles. (A few of my favorite sources are the periodicals Yes, Ode, and the Sun magazines.)
• Pick up the hobby you used to love. Did you enjoy writing poetry by the ocean? Did you like dancing to African music? Did you write original songs and play them on your guitar for your friends? Did you make unique jewelry from beads scored at garage sales? Did you work your own garden? Those hobbies may have sprung from seeds planted by the Divine Sower.
• Don’t be afraid to quit your job—especially if what you’re doing is eating at your soul. There is truth to the statement, “Trust God.” However, it can’t be a passive trust. True progress towards meeting one’s destiny involves actively exercising that trust. And, it is always important to bear in mind that it’s important to enjoy the journey, not live for the destination.A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be. This is the need we may call self-actualization ... It refers to man’s desire for fulfillment, namely to the tendency for him to become actually in what he is potentially: to become everything that one is capable of becoming ...”
~Abraham Maslow
While
many in the world may not be ready to take that first step in the walk
of faith, those who are need to remember that an individual catalyst
can inspire a chain reaction.
1Monsanto is one of the leading companies that experiments with earth life through genetic engineering; it is also, with the help of the U.S. government and the World Trade Organization, claiming patent ownership of the seeds and animal life forms of this planet. Bechtel Corporation, one of the largest construction and engineering companies in the world, with the help of the World Trade Organization, Intermonetary Fund, and World Bank, despite being kicked out of Bolivia for attempting to privatize the water, continues to look for ways to control the resources of developing nations. GE’s ownership of media giants such as NBC and CNBC keeps criticism of its military contracts at bay. Overall, corporate ownership of media misrepresents true voices crying out in the wilderness of a fallen system.