DON’T FLOG A DEAD HORSErnHave you ever asked yourself: ‘Why am I doing this?’ Have you everrnthought sod it! and abandoned a task in frustration. Ever felt like justrnanother cog in a meaningless wheel? Have you ever felt like this aboutrnyour career or daily life?rnI caught the bus and train to a job I disliked one day as I had done a fewrnhundred times before. When I reached the entrance to my workplacernI suddenly stopped dead in my tracks. Something had snapped insidernof me, I couldn’t go in. I turned around jumped on the same trainrnthen bus and went home. I changed out of my work suit into myrnnormal clothes and spent the rest of the day walking and thinkingrnin the countryside. Although I had bills to pay and responsibilities,rnI felt elated not worried and I never went back. If you feel like thisrnabout your chosen work, then you are almost certainly trying too hardrnat the wrong thing. You are on a journey that isn’t yours. You mayrnexperience an epiphany like I did or the realization might creep up onrnyou slowly. However the penny drops, you need to change direction.rnYour right direction will involve something that gives you unconditionalrnhappiness, something you would do willingly not even thinking aboutrnthe rewards it might bring. It is a task or project you will lose track ofrntime doing and you will find easy and natural to accomplish. Easte
philosophy would explain this as non-action or the path of leastrnresistance; more modern psychologists would describe it as flow.rnWhatever description you prefer it is when you are not battling orrnstruggling to do something you know in your heart isn’t for you,rnbut rather when engaged in work your mind and body instinctivelyrnknows is right. It is so right in fact, you are not even concerned aboutrnoutcomes; you have faith they will sort themselves out. Don’t bernworried if you can’t change directly to your true purpose just acceptrnyou will have to travel indirectly for a while. Nor should you conce
yourself about finding exactly the right road first time, there mightrnbe few wrong turnings; just make a start and get as near as you can.rn88 Call of the SoulrnBe aware of the competing forces within your head. These are yourrnego or social self which is pitched against your subconscious, soul orrnessential self. Both are vital to us but they have different agendas. Ourrnsocial self allows us to mechanically function and interact with thernworld but it is susceptible to the indoctrination of conformity, societalrnand parental pressure, culture and environment. It works in what itrnthinks is our best interest but it is cautious and protective, it is safernand steady, it is risk adverse. In that job or career we dislike it willrnwhisper things like: ‘Hang in there, it will get better’ or ‘If you get arnpay rise you will enjoy it more’ or ‘It’s better to be safe in a job withrnyour mortgage to pay.’rnOur essential self, the dreams and meanings that lie deep in our soulrnand subconscious, is more interested in us than society or conformity.rnIt knows what will make us happy and contented and it wants to leadrnus there. It will whisper: ‘It won’t get better, nothing will change,’rnor ‘the extra money won’t buy you any more happiness,’ or ‘sodrnthe mortgage, follow your dream.’ To achieve real happiness andrncontentment in life you must listen to your essential, inner voice andrnchoose the pathway or vision it suggests to you. Then you can let yourrnmechanical, social ego organize the details.rnNot only will your essential self nag at you if it thinks you are workingrnat the wrong thing and should change direction, but your body willrnrebel as well. Although, with the heavy armament at its disposal, thernego seems all-powerful it will be rocked back when your body andrnessential self have had enough. The body’s rebellion will manifestrnitself in physical malaise, lack of energy and even illness. It couldrnmean increased drinking or overeating or drug dependency whetherrnprescriptive or otherwise. The subconscious will cut off the flow ofrnmotivation, enthusiasm and positive thought. You could becomerntetchy, argumentative and unreasonable. If that is not enough, itrncould make you self-implode in varying degrees. This may range fromrnlosing your temper with your boss and telling him to stick his job torndeliberately messing up a promotion exam or interview. In my case,rnit physically stopped me entering my workplace ever again. You mustrnreally listen to and watch out for these signals from your soul, yourrnessential self.rncall of the soul 89rnI have left lots of jobs in my working life and never once felt sad aboutrnleaving. I have sometimes felt chastened about the circumstances ofrnleaving but on every occasion felt a sense of freedom, release andrnelation when I drove out of the gates or walked through the door. Thisrnwas because I knew in my heart I had left something that wasn’t rightrnfor me and by doing so I now had the freedom to seek somethingrnthat was.rnWrite a list of anything and everything you do where you find peace,rncontentment, or fulfillment; where you instinctively feel right withrnyourself and the world. Just for a time completely dismiss any everydayrnworries or self-doubt you may have and ignore external pressures.rnThis is an exercise between you and your essential self, your ego orrnsafe head isn’t invited.
‘The soul is like an eye resting upon that which truth and being shine.rnThe soul perceives and understands, and is radiant with intelligence.’rnPlato.rnAction: Practice a period of silence and meditation daily. Find somernsolitude in nature to de-clutter your mind from outside pressurernand expectation. Only when your mind is still and receptive can yournintroduce ideas into it.rnFrom Call of the Soul by Nigel Brett.
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