I'm a seeker too, on my own path, not just a guide. I am not an Ultimate Authority on spirituality, and I don't claim to be, although that would be really awesome. I often think that I should just go find myself a mentor and study from them to the best of my ability, not only because learning a complete system or path is a great way to gain expertise, and a launch-pad for customizing or creating your own best personal tradition (and that would help me do this work)...
I confess here that I also have this accountability hurdle where I do things for others first, and then occasionally I'll do things for myself if I have spare time... but when there is someone holding me accountable for my own self-responsibility, it becomes much easier for me to prioritize things. Loving my inner child enough to take care of her better is something I'm working on.
It's not because I'm selfless (I'm not), and it's not because I'm codependent (I'm not) that I look for accountability. It's more about the great feeling I get from helping others or receiving feedback that I've done something good, and done it well. It's the Achievement Unlocked dopamine hit. I've completed a quest. Sweet. What do I get as a reward? Experience. So do I really need a coach? While, no, I don't think any of us really requires it - some of us do want one because in this fast-paced, instant gratification world of distractions, it is easier to stay on track if we have a second set of eyes on the metaphorical prize!
One participant shared this article:
http://thewakeupexperience.eu/be-your-own-guru-and-follow-yourself/
Be Your Own Guru and Follow Yourself, by Vera
I have to remind myself, "When the student is ready the teacher will appear." And while I was always pretty strong academically, it was the independent study units that really made my school experience 'pop'. You know, we all really do hold a lot more wisdom than we give ourselves credit for, however, it isn't all on the tip of the tongue. It does take practice to dig for it, and my advice based on my experiences is to just question everything.
There are a few ways to get to know yourself better, what your spiritual needs are, and find ways to meet your higher level desires. There are ways to discover what you are looking for in an ally... sometimes their leadership is not what they want to be offering, it's more along the lines of cultivating some kind of open-ended growth in others.
I personally spend time with:
- Meditation and introspection (which is sort of meditation in disguise as a less daunting space-out session)
- Journaling (which can be art journaling too, it doesn't have to be "Dear Diary, Today I..." stuff or lists of affirmations or gratitudes)
- Note taking when reading books (Even fictional books are full of wisdom and ways in which we can connect to the story and the character development. I find it hard to remember quotes and sometimes dog-earing the page doesn't help me find a good line again later.)
- Conversations about private studies & any lectures / podcasts / documentaries (this is essential to my learning style, I absolutely love learning and integrating the information by explaining it to someone else and putting it on the table for dissection and embellishment)
And I'll repeat myself here for the sake of emphasis:
Learn to ask great questions. If you aren't sure, ask more! If you are sure, definitely probe deeper. Questions for yourself, questions for others, and questions to explore together are all necessary; I find that taking a little scrap or element of information and expanding on that is a good way to begin a search for insight.
We all need experienced and informed teachers from time to time to show us the doors, but we have to walk through those doors ourselves. Why learn the path if you aren't going to walk on it? It would be like knowing the map off by heart but never exploring the territory.
The same goes for healing. While we may not be able to perform an advanced surgery on ourselves, we can do all the work that goes along with the surgery, from bed rest to addressing the process by which we created the energetic blockage in the first place. We may need a healer to do the operation or prescribe an antidote, but it is a commitment to ourselves that is the real, enduring work of getting better and moving on.
So what questions are you asking today? What is it that you want to learn? How do you want to grow? How do you want to heal? What does the good life look like to you? And how can I support you in helping yourself to get there, without taking the ship's wheel away from you?
♥ Jacki