Knowing The Inner Self

July 14, 2023

We realize other "persons" are inside us because we hear such voices as our egos, super-egos and primitive selves, to mention a few. But much of our self-talk is self-centered, punitive or shameful. So we won't delve further into these sides of ourselves for fear of what we find, such as mean streaks, deficiencies, moral failures, dark desires, guilt and much more. We may be afraid of disrupting our self-concept if we know the real person behind our persona.

Understandably, we avoid knowing more about ourselves and the all-too-familiar shame our negative aspects elicit. This private shame is not triggered by what others may think of us but by our judgments about ourselves. Furthermore, we may feel helpless in doing anything about those negative parts of ourselves. So the journey into wholeness is not for the timid. It requires courage, but the rewards are invaluable.

The good news is that we strike gold if we dare to face our negative aspects and then go beneath them to the deepest layers of our soul. On the journey to our gold, we pass through veins of the negative shadow and deficiencies. But if we consciously look at these aspects and understand that they are maladaptive ways of dealing with a demanding and unfair world, we do not get hung up on judging ourselves.

Instead, we ask what qualities in our soul can meet these challenges and displace maladaptive thinking and behavior. To find our soul qualities, we inquire about our beatitude, Holy Ideas, Gifts of the Spirit, Fruits of the Spirit, Essential Aspects and Virtue. Then we discover the beautiful and substantial qualities of our souls that expose our negative aspects as flimsy in comparison.

The negatives have egoic power but not the highest authority. A.H. Almaas, in his book Keys to the Enneagram, states that the very qualities we need at any time are deep within, and they emerge like newly struck gold if we let the negatives play out instead of believing that they are who we are and therefore perpetuating them. In our hour of need, our soul arises.

Inquiry: What negative thoughts or behaviors must be replaced with divine qualities in your depths? What are those divine qualities in you?

Dear God,

I have always heard, "Let go and let God." Now I realize its deeper meaning: If I go to my depths, I will find that you have given me everything I need. I pray to let go of all that blocks me from my depths, Oh God. Amen.

Make peace with your ego and discover your true path today. We will share Dr. Howell's full daily reflection and prayer on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. To receive the full week, please complete the form below to begin your journey into who God has made you to be. The path to wholeness starts now!