Be Your Own Damn Guru
Oct 01, 2019
{Written by Jason}
“Every answer you are seeking is already inside of you. Look within. Do the inner work.” ―
There are a venerable plethora of self-proclaimed experts, thought leaders, influencers and gurus littering their ideas all over the Internet these days. While these ideas may be packaged in a seemingly soulful, compelling, compassionate and perfectly branded manner, many of them are leveraging your innate feelings of not-enoughness and the illusion of lack to sell you a product, like their books, courses, live events or coaching programs. Subversively or subconsciously, many of these offerings are positioned like, "Hey, you don't want your life to keep sucking, so buy this. It'll help change your life."
I find this approach to be less than respectful and honoring to people. Much of the content that these "gurus" are pushing in the self-help, wellness and personal development industries is predicated on the fact that they can identify what your core issue is (or your primary "pain point" as the industry calls it) and then agitate that pain to set you up for a future sale. Kind of gross, isn't it? It makes you feel like a commodity, not a human being. I mean, it's easy enough to fall for this when we read a piece of perfectly-targeted copy and think, "Wow. He/she really knows what I've been going through... and it looks there's a light at the end of the tunnel for me with this..."
What if there's a different way of looking at the idea of personal development and growth?
What if you, and I, and EVERYONE were to simply accept where we're at in this moment?
I mean FULLY ACCEPT where we're at: pain, joy, warts and all. Not to eschew our dreams or desires to grow and expand, but to create more acceptance and love around who we are, what we're doing, and what we have in this very moment. I personally feel that by accepting who you are, fully surrendering to the truth of your current situation, and staring at life bravely by accepting what is... that's the door to find your personal liberation. Because it comes from within YOU.
In other words, what if you just stopped voraciously listening to all these so-called "experts" for their advice, roadmap, blueprint, or 75-step program and started actually listening to yourself for once?
It's a radical idea, I know, but hear me out. Just because some "guru" tells you about the plan, system, roadmap, book, or path that worked out for them doesn't necessarily mean it's going to work the same for you. If someone else is showing you the path, it sure as hell ain't your path. Someone else carved it out, but it doesn't mean you're going to have the same journey... or the same results from walking it.
I believe your job is to get clear about who you are and what your purpose is here on the planet. Can people serve you as mentors, way-showers, and avatars on our journey? Absolutely. Can you seek guidance from books, courses, live events, and coaching. Definitely. Is it critical for you to learn from another's triumphs AND mistakes? 100%. But there is a chasm that I've seen people leap across when they start to believe that a guru, expert, influencer, or thought leader has become the SOURCE of their inspiration, motivation, or blueprint for a successful, abundant, fulfilled life. And that's when your personal autonomy starts to get lost and you stop listening to yourself by defaulting to the ultimate authority of another person as the source of your bliss, livelihood, financial prosperity, or inspiration. Ugh. It just feels gross to give that much power away.
This level of dependence and illusion is a really dangerous place to be because you've made someone outside of yourself too important. You've bought into the illusion that they are your source of love, abundance, inspiration, doughnuts, playlists, foot rubs, etc.
Any true guru would never call themselves a guru. At least not publicly. Conversely, they'd probably tell you that YOU ARE THE GURU.
Or that life itself is the guru and the real meaning of life is to simply BE. A true guru provides a direct reflection of what's inside of you and a source of energy to guide you through your own darkness. They help lead you back to yourself and the innate wisdom that's always been inside of you. Again, a true guru would never refer to themself as a guru. They just shine the inexhaustible light of truth and wisdom on your ass like the sun... and whoever is drawn to it, so be it. They could give a shit whether or not you accept it. Unconditional love, wisdom, nourishment, and truth... they just are. You don't have to earn them or source them from someone else.
As I alluded to earlier, when you give up your common sense, your intuition, and your internal compass by following someone else's advice or path too much, you are walking into precarious territory. By losing your sense of self, your inner autonomy, and higher wisdom, you put yourself in a compromised position energetically wherein you become far too reliant on someone else to show you their way. Again, if you find yourself on someone else's path, blueprint, or roadmap... it's not yours.
"To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don't worry about the darkness for that is when stars shine brightest." ― Napoleon Hill
The REAL adventure lies in bravely carving out your own path in the darkness, listening to your highest excitement, and letting your heart lead the way. Stop giving your power away to these self-proclaimed gurus, experts, and influencers - and start listening to the one voice inside of you. Start a non-negotiable daily meditation practice. Take time in nature to be quiet and still. Reflect on the dreams inside of your soul. Begin to trust that you have the answers, sometimes buried really deep inside of you. Take your power back and trust your autonomy. You're a sovereign being capable of anything that you fully align your mind, heart, and soul with. Don't let other people tell you you're not enough or that their product, service, or offering will be the thing that makes your life worthwhile and meaningful again. It's a lie. You're already worthwhile as the ever-growing, evolving, and changing being you are right at this moment.
Learn to listen to the small, still, consistent voice inside of you. Your intuition has never, ever led you astray. And no matter what you choose for your life, just know that you are always being held in a space of deep, unconditional love. What is... is good and to your advantage even if you can't see it at the moment. Life has taken such good care of you, so why should the next moment be any different? Always trust yourself and your inner wisdom. And be your own damn guru.
“Look nowhere but within for the Divine in you” ―
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