The Best Policy

 

These days, so many people lie to themselves constantly. Often, they forget they’re even doing it. Lost in the depths of delusion or entitlement. But that internal deceit is a path towards madness and ruin. Because it's not about what others do, or how others live. It's about all the subtle ways we self-sabotage. So many of us spend our time running from pain towards fleeting pleasures whilst grasping the complexities of neither. But everything has consequences, even our misguided attempts at comforting ourselves. The fact is so many of us are genuinely oppressed and mistreated. Reeling from various traumas we can’t fully process with just our logical, rational minds. Often, we need a gentler touch. A deeper insight. But in our exhaustion and shame we sometimes hide our insecurities and portray our pain as empowerment. We wear masks of congeniality whilst seething underneath. Fury, or confusion. The best of us mean no harm to others, of course, and yet we harm ourselves continually. Locked in cycles of distraction, doubt, or fear.

We can definitely change all that. Each one of us. But it requires a radical kind of honesty. Many people say they want to change their lives, but lasting positive change rarely comes without insight or effort. No one can walk the treacherous path of life on our behalf. Nobody can self-actualize for us, or overcome those private torments with a simple act of magic. Male or female, old or young, our struggles are remarkably similar in the end. They might present themselves differently, but they all stem from the gulf between what is and what might be. In that gulf is the place where wisdom can be cultivated.

But we don't have to seek this wisdom entirely alone. Thank God. There are elders, teachers and friends who can offer us tools and strategies for moving forward. Especially when we're willing to put aside our various fears and suppositions, and really listen. Seeing with an inward eye. That kind of openness and honesty takes courage, it's true. It can be terrifying in the beginning – confronting our demons, recognising our own shadows. All the wounds that haven't yet healed. But it's how I and others like me overcame exceedingly difficult childhoods. It's how all of us can find invaluable pride in the adults we're trying to be today. So, if I can share the insights that have guided me, and in doing so help you to know yourselves on a deeper level, then I feel like my time on this earth will continue to be useful. Wishing you all the best, my friends, and with love, Raj