We spend a lot of our lives looking for role models, mentors, teachers, and gurus to guide us on our path. There is nothing wrong with this, and in fact, finding the right person at the right time can really help. However, it is important to realize that in the absence of such a figure, we can very safely rely upon ourselves. We carry within us everything we need to know to make progress on our paths to self-realization. The outer world serves as a mirror. Or to use another metaphor, our inner world has a magnetic force that draws to us what we need to evolve to the next level.
The path of the spirit is often thought of as a journey with a specific goal, such as finding the fabled pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In this metaphor, a person begins a search for something they want. Then they go off to find it, and there is a happy ending when they do. However, most of us know that getting what we want only makes us happy for a moment, and then the happiness passes as soon as a new object of desire presents itself. Joy, however, is a permanent aspect of our inner selves; it is not separate from us at any point. We do not have to travel to find joy or even imagine that it resides only in the body of another. In fact, the best teachers point out that this very precious elixir is something we all already possess.
So when we find ourselves on our path not knowing which way to turn and wishing for guidance, we can turn to ourselves. We may not know the right answer rationally or intellectually, but if we simply ask, let go, and wait patiently, an answer will come. The more we practice this and trust this process, the less we will look outside ourselves for teachers and guides, for we will have successfully become our own teacher.
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