Self-Inquiry, Sacred Mission & Vision

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, we explore inspiration and practicalities for various self-inquiry practices.

Objective

Be inspired and prepared to practice and teach various self-inquiry practices for vision and goal-setting.

Description

Explain why and where attention must be focused in order to develop authentic vision and live one’s own priorities. Describe how science supports the declaration that in the future, we will be more disappointed by things we didn’t do than by the things we did. Explain the purpose of self-inquiry. Before embarking on a self-inquiry practice, describe what you can do to increase the likelihood that you will accomplish the purpose of the exercise. Provide key questions that may be enough to move you forward. Describe up to 40 questions and journal prompts that you can choose from to help you clarify your vision and goals. Describe other practices that may bring you insight, such as marinating in bodily experience, seeing through troubles, and reviewing your last best day. Give an example of a personal mission and goals. Describe the important difference between a personal goal vs. the means to accomplish it. Explore why accessing embodied wisdom is vital when considering your personal mission and goals.

Dharma & Vision

Each life is said to have a purpose, “a mission of the spirit.” The desire to connect with our particular purpose—our dharma—is deeply related to a meaningful process of vision and goal-setting. If we avoid seeking and acknowledging inner longings, we are unable to connect to our dharma. Unconnected to our sacred mission, we lack a meaningful vision. And without vision, we react to the world and whatever appears most pressing. That is, we live someone else’s priorities. Review the deep coverage on dharma for more.

Here in this section you’ll find practical tools both for connecting with your deepest desires and for setting plans to obtain them. Self-inquiry helps to clarify your vision of your life as a whole (and/or your role as a teacher). By translating desires into measurable objectives and being aware of common pitfalls, you’ll find yourself making real progress toward what truly matters to you.

AM I DOING WHAT I MOST WANT TO BE DOING?

We rarely offer ourselves the time and space to consider: Am I doing what I most want to be doing with my life? Do I even know what that is? The noise in our heads and all around us drowns out the “still, small voice” inside. We are so busy doing “something” that we rarely take a moment to look deeply and check in with our deepest desires. – Thich Nhat Hanh

MEDITATION GIVES ACCESS TO THE SOUL’S LONGING, OUR DHARMA

How do you find your true desire? The answer is to ask your soul. Soul is where universal will and individual desire merge… If you have little or no meditation experience, you might assume that soul is accessible only to those few who have dedicated their lives to finding and experiencing it. The good news is that this is not the case… The process of meditation teaches that experiencing your soul is neither complicated nor difficult, but it does require that you do it. – Rod Stryker 

INSPIRATION TO BE BRAVE

Mark Twain tells us that twenty years from now we will be more disappointed by the things we didn’t do than by the things we did do. So, he says, we should throw off the bowlines and sail away from the safe harbor… Get this: Science agrees… We are surprisingly resilient in the face of adversity. And, we consistently overestimate how bad we’ll feel in the future if something goes wrong… In fact, this is such a common phenomenon that scientists actually have a name for it. They say we have poor “affective forecasting” abilities… If you go for it and fail, odds are you’ll bounce back faster than you think. But… If you don’t go for it, you run the risk of torturing yourself with an infinite number of scenarios where it could have worked out… Here’s to sailing away from the safe harbors—knowing we have what it takes to bounce back from the inevitable storms (and occasional shipwrecks.) – Brian Johnson

YOU HAVE TO “GET” YOU

When you feel good, your energy is high and your dreams feel within reach. When you don’t, your doubts and fears are magnified by small setbacks, and negativity from the people in your life that don’t get you. You have to “get” you.  Others don’t have to understand why your dreams are important to you. And those “others” aren’t the reason you’re not living your best life. The blocks to living the life you desire are internal. That’s what my first business coach taught me, and it’s the same thing that all the yogic texts will teach you. Change begins with you.  I don’t want to be sitting here at the same time next year, not having moved forward on my most important goals and dreams. What about you? Aren’t you tired of the repeating patterns in your life?… Spending more caffeine fueled days and nights working longer and harder, isn’t the answer to reclaiming your life. A fulfilled life must include your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. It has to include goals that are deep and meaningful to you. – Gloria Latham