We spend a lot of our lives looking for role models, mentors, teachers, and
gurus to guide us on our path. There is nothing wrong with this, and in fact,
finding the right person at the right time can really help. However, it is
important to realize that in the absence of such a figure, we can still very
safely rely upon ourselves. We carry within us everything we need to know to
make progress on our paths to self-realization. The outer world serves as a
mirror. Or to use another metaphor, our inner world has a magnetic force that
draws to us what we need to evolve to the next level.
The path of the spirit is often thought of as a journey with a specific goal,
such as finding the fabled pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In this
metaphor, a person begins a search for something they want and then they go
off to find it, and there is a happy ending when they do. However, most of us
know that getting what we want only makes us happy for a moment, and then the
happiness passes as soon as a new object of desire presents itself. Joy,
however, is a permanent aspect of our inner selves; it is not separate from
us at any point. We do not have to travel to find joy or even imagine that it
resides only in the body of another. In fact, what the best teachers will do
is point out that this very precious elixir is something we all already
possess.
So when we find ourselves on our path not knowing which way to turn and wishing
for guidance, we can turn to ourselves. We may not know the right answer
rationally or intellectually, but if we simply ask, let go, and wait
patiently, an answer will come. The more we practice this and trust this
process, the less we will look outside ourselves for teachers and guides, for
we will have successfully become our own teacher.
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