On our pursuit of spiritual growth, we stumbled upon a lot of information. The web is teeming with spiritual sites, new books are being released at higher rates than previously and new “gurus” are popping up everywhere. In lots of ways, this can be a fantastic time to be on a pursuit of knowledge. The majority of us have now been trained to look for this knowledge outside ourselves. We’ve delegated responsibility for the understanding how to others; our parents, our teachers, our boss, the media, or some guru who seems to have all the answers. “Just tell me things to believe” is apparently the mantra of the modern knowledge-seeking individual. We look for the main one source, the main one book, the main one philosophy that may give people the answers. Then we can just relax. We’ll have it all figured out. But just how do we all know who the most effective spiritual teacher is? How can we all know who to be controlled by?
There’s a problem with assigning the responsibility of our understanding how to others. They’ll always offer their knowledge from their perspective. Especially when it comes to spiritual matters (although certainly not limited to them), another person’s truth is certainly not likely to be your truth.
It isn’t that other folks don’t have anything of value to teach us. They do. The situation occurs when we turn off our own brains and take an “all or nothing” approach course in miracles books. Either anyone has nothing of value for people, or we assign them the status of guru and believe everything they say.
Realistically, however, that’s not quite just how it works. Everyone you meet, every book you read, exactly what gets your attention has something of value to provide you. Not everything they say will meet your needs, but there’s always a nugget of truth there for you. You only have to find it. You’re certainly not looking for anything new. All you really should do is remember that which you already know, deep down inside.
How do you recognize it? You can feel it. There’s resonance once you hear or read something which rings true for you personally, a rush of energy, an atmosphere in your gut. It feels good. It feels right. And you simply understand that it’s true for you. Haven’t you ever read something or heard someone speak words that appeared to expressing something you’ve always seemingly known? It’s like these were taking your thoughts and simply organizing them in a way you hadn’t previously been able to do. It felt like they weren’t really giving you new information, but alternatively reminding you of something you already knew. Which was an item of your truth.
There is no body guru, book, website or whatever else that will give you ALL the answers. There is no-one to offer you all the answers, because no body is having the same experience that you are. We’re all unique individuals, living our own unique lives, and having our own unique experiences. And we all have our own unique truths, our own unique group of answers.
With this in your mind, I encourage you to always use your personal guidance to find out which information is right for you personally and which isn’t. You’re your personal best spiritual teacher. You may find some information on the web or in books (wherever) that you trust and some that you don’t. Some things will “resonate” with you, you’ll feel it in your gut. This is you remembering that which you already know. Some things will evoke no reaction at all. Some may evoke a poor reaction. You might think a few of it is a bit “out there” ;.
I encourage you to take that which resonates with you and leave the rest. Search for whatever sources you’re interested in, be it books, websites and other people. Once you begin to pay attention, you’ll notice that the answers to your questions are typical around you. You might overhear a snippet on radio stations, have a relatively chance encounter at the food store or see a write-up in a newspaper that sparks that feeling of resonance, of recognition.
Take those items that resonate with you and leave the rest. There’s nothing wrong with this information, it just isn’t for you personally, or may not be for you personally right now.
You’re your personal best teacher. You’re the only one who knows what’s right for you personally and what isn’t. Listen compared to that inner voice, think on your own and don’t delegate the responsibility of deciding what’s true for you to anyone else.