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An ancient myth tells that when human beings were about to be created,
a committee of gods got together to decide where the secret of life
should be placed. All the gods were in agreement that the secret
should be hidden somewhere clever, so that people would have an
adventure to find it. But the gods had a hard time agreeing where it
would be most challenging for people to locate the treasure.
"Let's hide the secret of life at the top of the highest mountain!"
one god suggested.
"No, no," replied another. "People will invent airplanes and
helicopters and rappelling equipment, and then everyone will be able
to get to it."
"Then how about at the bottom of the sea?" another god posed.
"Same thing," another deity answered. "They will invent submarines and
diving equipment, and that will be the end of the game."
The gods sat around, hands on chin, nearly stumped, until one god lit
up. "I have it!" he exclaimed. "Let's hide the answer within each
person they'll never think to look there!"
And so it has turned out. When we need to know a truth, we tend to
look outside ourselves for answers, and the last place we look is in
our own heart. Meanwhile, all that we could ever need to know abides
at the core of our being.
The great inventor Thomas Edison used this principle when he needed
help with an invention. When Edison felt stymied in the midst of a
difficult experiment, he would lie down on a couch with a rock in his
hand. As he dozed off into a light sleep, he sank into his
subconscious mind, which he recognized to be an avenue of infinite
intelligence, from which all of his best ideas came. Then, as his body
relaxed, Edison would let loose of his hold on the rock, which would
drop to the floor with a loud "thud!" that would startle him out of
his nap.
At that moment Edison still had fresh in mind the idea he had
contacted in his sleep state, and he would quickly write it down. That
was Edison's secret. He went on to generate over 5,000 important
patents, including the electric light, the phonograph, the alkaline
battery, and motion pictures.
When I studied organizational development in graduate school, my
professor wrote a sentence on the blackboard that ultimately meant
more to me than all the techniques I learned. It said: A consultant is
someone who borrows your watch to tell you what time it is.
The greatest service any therapist, teacher, psychic, astrologer, or
counselor can offer you is to remind you of what you already know. You
have probably sought help or advice from several people or resources,
and still felt unfulfilled. Then someone said something that really
resonated within you, and you said, "That's it!" How did you know]that
was it? Why did that one piece of advice move you more than the
others? You already knew, and you were just waiting for someone out
there to call your attention to the answer that matched your inner
knowing.
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, author of the perennially popular book, The
Power of Positive Thinking, was sitting on an airplane next to a young
woman who struck up a conversation with him. When she discovered that
Dr. Peale was a man of seasoned wisdom, she decided to ask him for
help with a dilemma. "I have been dating two men and both of them have
proposed to me," she explained to Dr. Peale. "I'm not sure which one
to say 'yes' to. Can you give me some advice?'
"Sure," Dr. Peale answered abruptly. "I don't think you should marry
either of them."
"Why is that?" asked the young lady, surprised.
"If you have to ask me who to marry, you're not in love with either of
them," he answered.
When something is really right for you, you know it. And when
something is not right for you, you know it. Your job is not to find
someone else to dictate your truth, but to get in touch with your
inner guidance. Trust your intuitions and gut feelings. Your inner
being is always speaking to you through the voice of your heart. Honor
what your heart is telling you, and you befriend an impeccable guide
that will take you all the way home.
Alan Cohen is the author of 15 popular inspirational books, including
the award-winning A Deep Breath of Life. To order Alan's best-selling
novel My Father's Voice or request a free catalog of Alan's books,
tapes, and seminars, call 1-800-462-3013 or visit Alan's web site at
www.alancohen.com. Join Alan this October for a mystical adventure to
Bali! Contact Alan's office at 455A Kukuna Road, Haiku, HI 96708,
(800) 568-3079 or email admin@alancohen.com.
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