January is now in full swing…have you written your New Years resolutions, set your goals, made your to-do lists? Are you determined that THIS year will be the year you finally achieve those goals? Maybe they have already fallen by the wayside, or you did not even bother to make them in the first place, thereby avoiding disappointment?
In my last blog post, I spoke of the Roman God Janus, who this month is named after, and how he is depicted with two heads, one looking backward in reflection and the other looking forward in anticipation. I invited you to indulge in a Sacred Pause, reflecting on the meaningful moments you created in the past year. And now it’s time to look forward to the coming year, and consider what you would like to manifest, as well as how to be effective in your efforts.
We are frequently bombarded with a variety of fail-proof strategies designed to achieve the goals and resolutions we set for ourselves. And yet often we still fall short…either we seem to lack the discipline, or we work like crazy but don’t seem to attract the abundance we desire. Too little willpower, tons of willpower that is ineffective, or possibly willpower that lasts awhile, and then disappears like snow in sunshine.
Have you ever wondered why others seem to manifest with ease, while you stumble time and time again?
Part of the trouble lies in our misunderstanding of and misuse of our will. The Pathwork teaches we have an inner will and an outer will, and that both, in their healthy form, are necessary for achieving our goals and manifesting our dreams.
The outer will is connected with our intellect and our ego. It is what gets us out of bed in the morning, pays our bills on time, and helps us stay focused on the task at hand. If it is grounded in healthy motives and sustained by the inner will, it provides the get up and go to get things done. If it is ungrounded and fueled by egocentric motives, it will feel anxious, forced, rigid, and tense. We can end up feeling like we are trying to push a river upstream.
Pathwork Lecture 64 says:
“The more the inner will is hindered, the more you try to make up for it by strengthening the outer will. But the strength of the outer will is always unhealthy. It is a poor substitute. It is full of tension, anxiety, and impatience. Since it cannot function, it brings frustration as well, and with that a renewed doubt in yourself. The feelings of inadequacy and inferiority are thus fed anew.”
Our inner will is connected to our Real Self, our Divine Essence, and its motives are always healthy, realistic, trustworthy, and life-sustaining. This energetic movement is relaxed, patient, and moves with faith, pleasure, love, and joy. It is effortless effort.
When these two energetic forces are in harmony and undisturbed by misconceptions, defenses, and negativities, manifesting comes naturally. When we have lost connection with our inner will, and are only aware of or are relying too heavily on our outer will, we can end up feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, resentful, hopeless and inadequate. In times like these we tend to think the answer lies in increasing our outer will…trying harder, working longer, moving faster, doing better. Or, we give up in despair.
What we really need in this moment is to stop, breathe, and reconnect with our inner will. Listen to it. Trust it. Allow it to guide you to the next right step. In the right time. Tune in and identify the ego driven motives, release them, and surrender to how Life wants to move through you.
Simple, though not always easy. It takes practice and awareness to begin to discern when we are relying on our inner will versus our outer will.
Why not begin today?
Take a few moments to write a list of the goals, dreams, and desires you have for this year, large or small, significant or insignificant. Let your list be as long or as short as you want.
When it feels complete go back over each item individually, feel into your longing for its manifestation, and notice what arises. Can you sense whether the desire is grounded in your inner will, or the unhealthy form of your outer will? Does your goal stem from a deep desire to serve life, to give and receive love, joy, truth, and pleasure, or from an egocentric desire to win the acceptance, approval, or admiration of others? Some goals may even have mixed motives — note that as well. It’s important to remember that what you long for is not right or wrong in itself. The motive indicates whether it is a healthy or unhealthy desire.
This year, set an intention to align with the healthy motives of your Real Self as you draw on your inner will to achieve your dreams.
And then go forth and manifest…with clarity, confidence, and the discipline that comes from your wise inner will! If you remain connected to your source, and trust the process (even when it doesn’t turn out as planned), you will soon find the possibilities are unlimited!
