Many years ago, I watched Waking Life. Today, this question from the movie popped randomly into my mind 🙂

So what are these barriers that keep people from reaching anywhere near their real potential? The answer to that can be found in another question, and that’s this: Which is the most universal human characteristic – fear or laziness?

The answer is both. And neither.

What stops people from reaching their full potential is lack of will. Surely you can remember a time when you were past your fears and laziness, had the tools, but had to push really hard, and still had no will.

But where does a lack of will come from? It comes when one is not listening to their inner voice. When one doesn’t let go when they need to. Or when one doesn’t control when they need to.

So if one doesn’t listen to their inner voice, if one doesn’t listen to their spirit, they go against their will. And then they have a lack of will to do things.

Listening to oneself is hard because it means facing discomfort, and it also takes a lot of effort. And when one truly listens to oneself, this will inevitably lead them to love. And loving oneself is hard, because it means loving everybody.

So. Fear, or laziness? The answer to that can be found not in another question, not in philosophizing, but in love. Actual, experienced love, not stories or philosophies about love.

Woke up
Had a few dreams
But I was quick to dismiss
And start work right away

It’s been a busy period
Focused much on the outside
Not so much on the inside

Guilt crept in
Attention shifted to it
And then I realized

I remembered

All the insights I’d gathered
How much I have improved
As a Human being
By hanging out with my inner voice

For without it,
I am just a mirror
To the outside
An unreal self

My inner voice is my own,
My truly own gateway to God

Thank you guilt
For reminding me
That while there’s treasure outside
There’s treasure within, too

A few days ago, anxiety had another message for me.

I felt overwhelmed. I asked myself — is this cognitive overload (fixable only with prayer or surrender), or something else? I realized I still had energy for awareness.

My thoughts were scattered everywhere. Trying to focus on many things at once. I had been running around all day, too many obligations.

I sat down and observed the distraction. From different angles. Differentiating.

Little by little, it condensed into a narrowed focus. Alright.

But again, there was some unease. The thoughts were flying too fast.

Okay — I observe it and sit with it…

s l o w i n g
d  o  w  n

…

e v e n

m o r e

s l o w l y

…

Mind at ease.

…

Onto the body. Releasing tension, …

First the shoulders,

Then the legs,

Then the neck,

Arms

Fingers

I grounded myself, gathered myself. I became present.

I said to myself — now I am here.

I prayed gratefully. 🙏