Many thousands of years ago, the Greek Gods were meeting on Mount Olympus contemplating an issue of major concern. They wanted to hide the secret to the meaning of life and could not decide where to conceal it. The Gods and the Goddesses felt that this secret was not meant for mere mortals.
They discussed the possibility of hiding the secret at the bottom of the seas. This was dismissed as the Gods foresaw the invention of salvage operations. Next, they thought to hide the secret in the furthest reaches of the heavens. This was also dismissed with the knowledge that space travel would be part of the future. Finally they voted unanimously to hide the secret to the meaning of life in the human heart since it would be the least likely place people would look.
How to access the wisdom of the human heart has been an ongoing quest for philosophers, mystics and religious seekers for centuries. It is, as well, the essential ingredient for business people and entrepreneurs as they search for their personal and professional goals.
Work funds lifestyle
In the world of business, our work funds our lifestyle. To gain mastery over our business life we need to have a sense of ’purpose’. Our goal, therefore, is to find tools to access the wisdom of the heart and with it, the beginning of the meaning of life.
Have you considered how the market knows when to go up and down based on your personal/family/business situation? Have you found that just before a holiday, the market gets better? Have you found that if you discover your teenager is not attending school the market goes down? Have you found that if there is a contest in your company the market gets better?
There are at least two markets
The first involves interest rates, risk instruments, investment instruments and government superannuation programs. The second market is hidden inside you. It is governed by another set of rules and is the market hundreds of people have been trained to master in the Wealth Mastermind Group programs I teach all over the world.
How do we access and master this second market? First, we can explore the under-tapped life and financial profit centre within ourselves. Sit quietly. Take a minute to relax. Become aware of your body from toes to your head. Listen with your inner ear. Do you ever hear voices? Do you hear yourself carrying on discussions, arguments, doing business, reworking a deal, reacting, pleasing, demanding? This normal internal conversation is what I call your inner dialogue and it is an opening into the wisdom of the heart and the marketplace.
The question arises, who is talking?
These voices are expressions of what are called sub-personalities that often have attitudes, feelings and beliefs which are contradictory. This is not a new discovery – every psychology and many mystical and religious traditions make reference to this phenomenon.
Once you begin to be aware of your sub personalities, it is a good idea to give them names and enter some of their ’unique-to-you’ dialogue into a personal journal. The following are some categories of sub-personalities and their general characteristics.
THE LOGICAL SELF:
This is the thinking, reasonable part with whom most of us closely identify. This self seeks explanations and is always trying to make sense of the world through rational processes.
THE PLAYFUL SELF:
This is childlike, spontaneous, sexy, fun- loving self, typically not too interested in thinking. When this part is suppressed, he/she can become angry, spiteful and destructive.
THE VICTIM:
This is the sub-personality with a ’Charlie Brown’ syndrome. The self that feels the world is out to get him/her and seem innocent and helpless.
THE PROSECUTOR/BULLY:
This is the companion to the victim and is angry and hostile. This self appears to be logical and uses logic and reason as a whip to abuse the victim.
THE CRITIC:
Like the bully, this sub-personality makes us feel self-conscious, continually telling us that we should have done better. The critic often seems impatient, exasperated, demanding and sarcastic.
THE NICE GUY:
This variation of the victim is an easy going, placating, helpful sub-personality who hopes that if he/she is nice enough to everyone, everything will be okay.
THE DEMON/DEVIL:
A trickster and a saboteur, often found in the guise of the innocent, confused or dumb.
THE ACHIEVER:
This is the self that will keep you working and producing to become a success in the world. Unless modulated, it will not allow you any pleasure and may precipitate negative physical and/or emotional symptoms.
THE CREATIVE SELF:
This relative of the playful self has an added sense of awe and beauty. This self can produce inspiration and joy and is open to all possibilities.
Stage One
To understand how this works in your life, Stage One is to become aware of the various sub-personalities and their inner expressions. Which ones are operating when you have had an outstanding or a terrible day in business? As an exercise, create names for each of your sub personalities and write them in a journal. This process is called being the OBSERVER. This sub-personality watches all the others, describes how they interact, and does not judge, criticise or evaluate.
Stage Two
Stage Two is finding the sub-personality represented by the wise man/woman. THE INNER TEACHER. This sub-personality can assimilate the observations of the WITNESS and give direction for the resolution of internal conflicts. Remember, the object is not to get rid of our sub-personalities, but to transform them into life sustaining and enhancing forces by bringing them into balance. Stage Three involves experiencing the essence of who you are and the discovery of your personal meaning of life.
