Do Not Lose Yourself in Externals

Do Not Lose Yourself in Externals

. . . in shadows and in bliss as if the world could briefly satisfy my wish. – Petrarch

Life is a distraction for many people and for me too when I am asleep. All its external parts, satisfactions, and pursuits, such as our career, love life, hobbies, wardrobe, “preoccupations” (an insightful expression!), and other external activities fill our precious time. I cannot say if this is true for everyone but for me, as I was growing up, I had a feeling that there was more to life than what I was seeing around me and what I was doing.

The lower self is focused upon external achievements while the higher self thrives upon invisible victories. – The Teacher

For instance, I played a sport in high school and after every game, whether we won or lost I recall having a hollow feeling. I realized that playing a sport was not truly fulfilling, even when it went well. I'm thankful now in hindsight that this feeling was the beginning of my Magnetic Center. I had received a gift from beyond --- this perception bore in me deeply, telling me that the external forms of life were not what I was looking for and would not satisfy me.

Since we are but pilgrims in the visible world, we should never make it our fixed abode. − Erasmus of Rotterdam

As I write, I am aware that this type of reflection might sound like “sour grapes,” ungratefulness, or even privilege to some. I was indeed fortunate to be raised in a middle-class family and to be given opportunities that others less fortunate may not receive. And the external world does indeed offer many lovely things to many of us. But this is the point of departure, and what I want to stress in this post.

A person on the Way must make something out of all these external experiences, and that something is ethereal, invisible, and internal. It is inside us. There are many beautiful things to see in the world and many wonderful activities with which to engage. At their best, such externals help us build character and appreciation for what we have been given. Nevertheless, all too often we lose ourselves in the pursuit and we neglect or ignore inner growth in exchange for an outer appearance of worth.

When people merely master externals, their lower self has mastered their higher Self. – The Teacher

I would like to appeal to that part of you that knows that internal work is more important than the external world and its hollow promises. It has taken years for me to understand this truth. We must do our best to act out our part without giving everything to the part we play. We need to divide our attention or self-remember while doing everything in our lives – every little and big thing. Here is a sport worth playing: don’t run away from Presence, run toward it!

What is needed is only this: solitude, great inner solitude. Going within and meeting no one else for hours — that is what one must learn to attain. To be solitary as one was as a child. As the grown-ups were moving about, preoccupied with things that seemed big and important because the grown-ups appeared so busy and because you couldn’t understand what they were doing. – Rainer Maria Rilke

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Cantoria (detail), Lucca della Robbia