The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within.
-Mahatma Gandhi
My article last weekend: Turning Loneliness Into Deeper Connection produced a considerable response. I was touched by the many heartfelt emails I received, including a request to share from them. Below, are a few extracts.
From this reader, the idea of forming a national movement of Friendship Clubs:
...The Pastor was a warm and caring man who lived simply and happily with his own family and his church 'Flock.' In one of the first sermons we heard him give he said 'The biggest problem in today's world is Aloneness.' That statement made us all think and I believe he was and is right!! We all run faster and faster every day on life's treadmill to keep up and go home to our isolated boxes called homes for rest and respite. We are connected but mainly electronically these days and the dangers there are immense for us and generations to come. Maybe we need a new national movement where people can come together in small groups to simply connect with each other, talk and find friendships."
This reader, recently bereaved from the death of two close family members, writes:
Wanting to move forward into the next stage of my life, but without the energy and physical strength at present to do many of the things that would bring me joy and fulfillment at another time. The simple comfort of a smile from the clerk at the grocery store, or a nod from another customer waiting in line are things that help to keep me optimistic. We can never take for granted how our simple acknowledgment of others with presence can impact their day.For many, the friendship of a beloved pet brings great comfort, as with this reader:
The one relationship I can always count on is the one with my dog. Without Gizmo, I would be lonely a lot of the time. However, his buoyant personality and eagerness to see me is a constant source of cheer. As I type this, he is lying across my feet! When he passes on, as he eventually will, I plan to have another pet!
The search for real connection, whether that is within ourselves in solitude, or with others in their presence, is a way forward out of the dilemmas that so many of us are facing. There is a underlying unity that brings us together to resolve issues, and to find joy and laughter, even in the most unexpected times and places. That unity is the loving power we each hold. It is fulfilled as we seek to be of service to one another, and to ourselves in our need.
In response to another recent article, Overcoming Powerlessness, one reader wrote:
... what I notice about my friends and family and in myself is a sense of powerlessness bordering on numbness due to the constant fallout we are watching in the US. While I do meditate and pray for the well-being of the country, my family and friends, I just don't feel like its enough to focus on the moment, meditate, be grateful. Something has got to change and none of us know how to change what we see as very large corrupt powers running our country in the ground.She continues:
I am writing to ask if you have any practical advice about how to contend with powerless in an active way beyond your own personal needs in order to address and instigate larger scale change that is eating away at our environment, our morale, and our economic well-being? I am fed up watching myself and my colleagues stare out into all this systemic failure and betrayal. Don't you think something bigger has to be done here? Where do we start?
I did not have an easy answer for this reader. What I believe is that we must listen inwardly to the wisdom and guidance that is available to us. I responded that I am not an activist, but I do love to write. My intention for the articles I wrote for HuffPo is to inspire fresh hope and confidence in readers, to lift morale where I can. That is my contribution.
To each one who is called, there will be a unique contribution you can make towards effecting positive change in our world. Where do we start? I suggest to listen within to your own truth, the still small voice which has loving as its essence.
You must train your intuition
-- you must trust the small voice inside you
which tells you exactly what to say, what to decide.
-Ingrid Bergman
How to listen to your still small voice:
Sweet is the breath of vernal shower.
The bee's collected treasures sweet.
Sweet music's melting full, but sweet yet.
The still small voice of gratitude.
-Thomas Gray
Have you ever found that your intuition has guided you through difficult times? How do you recognize the still small voice within you? Do you feel called to somehow make a difference in the world at this time? I would love to hear from you.
Please feel free to leave a comment below, or contact me at anne@annenaylor.com
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Thank you very much for your kind words.
What a great insight you had about memories - and how they can keep us hostage to the past - my expression! The gift of forgiveness is a very great blessing in my experience.
With joy and blessings to you,
Anne
With love and blessings to you,
Anne
" The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within.
-Mahatma Gandhi
Do I feel 'called?' I cannot remember a time when I did not feel, what I call 'The Hand' on my shoulder. When I have this experience, which especially happens when I am in relationship with the Stillness, the 'walking papers' inevitably come. The assignments are varied, the temptation to by-pass them, at times, strong. And, yet.................................... The Gift of Life seems to require a 'thank you' card, don't you think? I know you do. My tyrant, the one who'd prefer deafness and comfort zones is persistent, tenacious, draining. It's never as renewing, restorative, regenerative as what comes in the Stillness, which can be wherever I give myself permission to 'take a chill pill and go within.' There, Divine Order waits, with Its assignments, timing, action steps and support.
Many thanks for your work, and your love,
Cara
Always a joy to hear from you - a smile grows on me with your words and your wisdom! Thank you so much.
A big yes to: "The Gift of Life seems to require a 'thank you' card,"
Hooray for you and your precious gifts in the Stillness.
With love,
Anne
Yes, the inner wisdom (however we may receive it) and the outer action based upon trust is how we best go forward. I see them both as a glorious learning curve.
I love what you say.
With joy and appreciation to you,
Anne
Ha! my dreams are also in accordance with that small voice as well. I've never encountered such a situation before so it's really challenging.
My intuition has always been my guide and I've always and I mean always followed it, most times flying in the face of reason like when I lived in NYC in the bad old days. When I ignore, I get my lumps, big time! It goes hand in hand with my dreams actually.
My still small voice is very quiet and calm sometimes almost subliminal when I'm not listening. It's clear as an old bell Tibetan when I'm quiet inside.
Yes, I do feel called upon to connect with others as that's my special talent but it's still blurry on how I should go about it, and it's a challenge since I love solitude and I can read people's motivations from the moment they approach me which is a bummer most of the time..
So the first and last issues are cause for serious reflection.
Lovely article as usual
Thank you
Catherine
It seems my reply to you may have gone out into the ethers! Your enthusiasm is always a treat to read.
Much love and many blessings for all of your next steps - and bon courage!
Anne
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who cans no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.” By Albert Einstein
.Albert Einstein, was SPIRITUAL MAN ,so he discovered the mysterious.This happened to every inventor, poet, writer , scientist,who propounded any great deed but not all are like Albert Einstein, who knew , how his inner powers are to be utilized, using the SPIRITUALITY. YOGA , was a tool, developed by GREAT ANCIANT SCIENISTS, called “Rishis/Maharishis for it. Every scientist needs CONCENTRATION for his research work. How would you concentrate with out knowing the exact method of attaining CONCENTRATION? It is in spiritual scriptures of “ASTANG YOGA”.
As a scientist, don’t be trendy, apply your x, y method of science to realize GOD, if failed to realize, then go to a YOGI, make a belief in his “ METHOD OF YOGA “. If you don’t realize GOD, after applying the “ Method Of Yoga “,only then have a disbelief in GOD.Spirituality is not based on BELIEF/FAITH but the scientists have to follow & believe on " METHOD OF SPIRITUALITY" ,otherwise "Method Of Science" would be called " METHOD OF NON-SCIENCE".
When I come up against an issue or situation I do not know what to do with, I often garden or meditate or paint or cook or clean my house or go for a walk or just sit and look at what is around me. Something simple that does not require a lot of "thought"-- and I forget about the issue for a while as I do that, at least consciously. Usually in the midst of that, I will suddenly just "know" what I need to do. I know that my unconcious mind was still contemplating the situation; I feel that by letting go of thinking about it with my conscious mind, I leave "space"-- a quiet zone-- for my Higher Self, Spirit, to slip the information to my "little self" though my unconscious mind, and then my little self whispers it to me.
Because I am being quiet inside, I hear it.
I love how you tune in to your inner knowing.
This rings true for me: " Because I am being quiet inside, I hear it. "
Your peace and your wisdom is always a joy to read. Thank you!
With love and appreciation to you,
Anne
"Then a whirlwind tore the mountains apart before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
Our lives are a constant deluge of wind and fire and earthquake - everything is critical, everything is demanding. And then we turn on the news and see BP and Wall Street and Afghanistan and Israel, and we feel like it's all so hopeless. And beyond that, we are fundamentally incapable of really entering into anyone else's life experience and nobody really enters into ours, so aloneness is a fact of life. But if we sit in the quiet and listen to the inner man, we hear him say that trouble is a constant in the world and the world finds a way to work it out. And if we listen to the inner man, we hear a voice that's not our own, telling us that all will be well.
Ignore the earthquake and fire and whirlwind - all will be well. The inner man says so.
Perhaps you were referring to the "inner man" in a generic sense. I certainly don't hear my inner voice as male, but as one beyond form. Isn't it interesting though, how cultural conditioning creeps into our language?
My "still, small voice within" is my rudder. It is attuned primarily to the "gratitude channel". Whenever I tune in to it, it is reminding me of what is beautiful and right with the world and that in spite of appearances, all is well.
I take multiple doses of this voice on a daily basis! The more I listen, the more peaceful I become, a very important element in navigating through the slings, arrows and "oil slicks" of modern life!
Thank you, Anne. I love and appreciate how you always seem to bring us back to the inner truths with your writing.
Blessings,
Judith
The still, small voice is so hard to hear in a world of negatives - demands on our time, demands on our attention, negative inputs all around - but it affirms our inner person and tells us that we're OK. And if we can stay attuned to it, it gives us wisdom that is greater than our own - what the source of that wisdom is, anyone can speculate. Our human instinct is to fight the world around us and try to subdue it - we'd do much better to ignore the negatives that surround us and hear the positive inside.
Sooner or later, we'll all come to a point where that inner person will become too strong for the outer person to hold inside, and it will struggle its way out the same way a butterfly struggles out of a cocoon or a bird struggles out the egg, or a flower splits open the bud and blooms. One of these days, we'll find there was something wonderful inside us all along, and we'll wonder why we let that outer person have so much dominance over our lives.
I love this: "It is attuned primarily to the "gratitude channel". Whenever I tune in to it, it is reminding me of what is beautiful and right with the world and that in spite of appearances, all is well. "
And: "The more I listen, the more peaceful I become, a very important element in navigating through the slings, arrows and "oil slicks" of modern life!"
It seem to me that many of the blessings are in the inner truths, to which we all potentially have access.
Love to you,
Anne
I have been so enjoying the thread you started here! Thank you.
So true what you say about the inner part of us (either gender or none!) that is the calm centre to which we can always retreat and find a home.
There are certain issues in the world in which I have a part, and others that are frankly beyond my understanding, comprehension or ability to contribute. All will be well.
I appreciate your thoughts and insights.
With love and blessings to you,
Anne
Have you ever found that your intuition has guided you through difficult times?
Always!
How do you recognize the still small voice within you?
I know my inner voice clearly as it is my heart my core talking
Do you feel called to somehow make a difference in the world at this time?
Our life is sevice/seva - it is the only thing that makes sense in this insane mad world- at the same time i love it! :-)
In Joy, Ed
Always a treat to read you here - thank you!
You and Deb are two of the most responsive to the call to make a difference in the world!
Beautiful work that you do. We are so blessed through your devotion and commitment.
Love, joy and Grace to you,
Anne
Yet you opened your lovely piece with Gandhi. Surely he is a shining example of fighting against all odds- and literally freeing a nation by listening to his still, small voice within, and remaining steadfast no matter what.
Thank you for your gentle spirit Anne! We all benefit from your calmness.
Love
k
A joy to see you here - and we are not so far removed on our themes this weekend!
When life seems to spiral out of control, as you say, is when I feel we need to hold steady and true to ourselves, rather like steering a ship across a stormy sea. Taking good care of ourselves as the vessels makes a big difference to our successfully landing on new shores.
I really appreciate your kind words!
With love,
Anne
Love to you
Jason
There are some great examples around us of those who do heed the 'still small voice'. They make a special contribution to the rest of us.
With love and blessings to you,
Anne
There is not really the space here to go into them. Drop me a line at anne@annenaylor.com and I will be happy to give you some more information on free form writing and mind mapping.
So glad you loved the post!
Peace, joy and happiness to you,
Anne
My father, a veteran of WWII, is buried in that cemetery, ... and receives a flag every Memorial Day. And so the flag I took with me that morning went into the green and quiet field where my friend's relative rests, ... a man who stopped his life to fight for our nation's survival. And while it went atop the grave of Emmanuel Cox, it was there for all the others as well, the other veterans who came to lie beneath the greenfield there.
A voice in me says there should be a memorial to all of them there, ... To remind those who pass, that heroes are buried who lie unrecognized for their service to us all. A part of me will pursue that, not for the dead but for the living, and the lives given for us all. Probably keep me busy a while!
I am with you on honouring those brave heroes who have given their lives. Yes, I think you may be kept busy for a while.
My Dad, now 91, fought bravely as a young man in WW2. It is hard for me to imagine the horrors he faced during those times of combat where to keep going, you had to switch off too much sensitivity and emotion to the suffering and distress of those around you, wounded and dying. God bless them for their sacrifice.
With love and appreciation to you,
Anne