“As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” This quote is from the biblical Book of Proverbs, chapter 23, verse 7. I think it is very true, but we have become blind to this.
We grow up with an external focus. Our way of life is concerned about our efforts and the development of our abilities and talents. We aim for success and security in this physical world.
This overarching goal remains ingrained in the educational system. Its purpose is to participate and contribute to society. Our success is only being measured by the level of participation and contribution.
It does not take into account where we started. There is also no reflection. Fundamental questions such as “Why are we doing this?”, or “Does this really contribute to a better world?” are simply ignored.
We have little understanding of the principles of successful life. True, there are numerous gurus who claim to have found it. Yet, upon closer look, they are concerned with only a single topic: success in business, success in physical health and strength, success financially or, if even possible, success spiritually.
People that have achieved these successes still experience a void. They might strive for yet another success, but will eventually return to the same void. Why is this?
The problem is that we live in two worlds. The first world we know all too well. This is the Outer World. This is where we spent the first years of our lives preparing and equipping us for and the remaining years to work in.
The other world is much lesser known. We know it exists, this Inner World, but we pay little attention to it. In the Outer World, we quite often neglect the Inner World, like it does not exist.
It is actually not a surprise that we don’t know the Inner World. The Outer World is what we and our ancestors have created together. There is a logical explanation for everything.
The inner world is a heavily compromised or even corrupt environment. I believe not knowing our Inner World is the root cause of all the problems in the world. Peaking into this world, exploring it, is painful and confusing. The Inner World isn’t as neatly organized as the Outer World.
Furthermore, we often feel powerless in trying to understand it, let alone trying to change it. Fortunately, it is possible to learn and get better in navigating these terrains.
The Inner World involves our heart and what our heart really stands for. And to better understand that, we actually need to start in the Outer World.
We have a system of codes, comprised of laws. When we make mistakes against the code around us, we break the laws of our own kind. Then we are said to have committed a crime and we get punished.
The Inner World also know a system of law. This is the Law of the Heart. If we break the laws of the heart, we are thrown out of harmony, with ourselves and the universal purpose for our existence. We have committed a sin. A sin is an act against universal truth.
Unfortunately, religions have often used the terms crime and sin as synonyms of each other. The subsequent confusion has helped religions to gain despicable power over people.
Many crimes (outer world) do begin with sin (inner world), but that is not always the case. A clear distinction between the two is that outer world laws change constantly. Universe laws never change. Universe laws are not concerned with human society, but with human character. There is no punishment in breaking this law, but there is damage: the broken faith of life.
Just as we are responsible to our society for our conduct, similarly we are responsible for our character in the inner world.
We can talk for decades and even centuries about political systems, the green agenda, wars, equality, education, and so on. However, as long as we have not mastered our inner world, we will perpetuate the senseless cycle.
I think it is essential to explore our own Inner World and understand our Heart. We can only do this by being brutally honest. First, you have to be brutally honest to yourself. This is difficult, especially in light of the Outer World, which has taught us to hide our Inner World.
A simple but powerful first step is to journal. Simple take time for yourself, find a reclusive space and write, with pen and paper, what is on your mind. Describe it as you are an journalist. Don’t shy away from the details. This will help you to understand yourself better and better. Write regularly. You are not writing it for anyone else than yourself. You will feel immediately relieved. A little bit more clarity has been created. A little bit more light has been shed in your Inner World.
By consistent journaling, you keep a log and can track back what went on in your mind previously. You can identify patterns and see what lesson keeps coming back in your life for you to learn. This will help you to make better decisions in the Outer World.
By doing so, I believe we can much better discern what is best for us as human beings and how to intrinsically contribute to a better world.
If interested, I can compile a set of guidelines for journaling. Send me an email or leave a comment. Also, journaling is just a first step. Sign up for the mailinglist if you want to receive the latest updates and join me in learning life.