We are ever so often our own worst enemies. It is in the very nature of human beings to contradict ourselves. We get in the way of that which we most deeply desire, and for this reason we live in a state of conflict. We are all a walking paradox in our own right. Perhaps in bringing light to this issue we can move beyond it, and in that come to actualize ourselves as one unified force of consciousness.
Why do we get in our own way?
We get in our own way because the idea we have of ourselves directly contradicts that which we most deeply desire. Our self-image does not coincide with what we truly want. The internal identity that we have unconsciously generated about ourselves is not connected to that which we truly are.
There is a conflict here between our deeper nature and the notion we have of ourselves, between how we are and how we think we ought to be. As long as we remain confined to that which we “ought to be,” the culturally conditioned sense of self, the ego, we will invariably get in our own way.
To live according to the dictations of the egoic mind, self-image, is to live in a state of conflict. This is the case because the egoic mind is not intrinsically intertwined with our deeper nature, our intuition, our heartfelt longings. It is maligned from that which we truly want. It is detached from our authentic selves, and in that will create friction amidst the movement of our perception.
We get in our own way because our self-image does not move in accordance with the actuality of who we are. Where there is this division, this dichotomy, this disconnect, we will surely get in our own way and prevent ourselves from meeting our greatest potential.
So, how do we get out of our own way?
We get out of our own way through dissolving this conflict between the image and the actual, which implies giving credence to the actual. When we have acknowledged our deeper nature, our heartfelt longings, our most profound inclinations, then we cease to contradict ourselves.
When we let go of the idea we have of ourselves, we invariably give credence to the actuality of who we are, our deeper drives. To free oneself of the image is to come upon our most authentic selves. Without this fixation upon the ego, this false sense of identity, we then give way to our most natural propensities.
To be limited to the workings of the ego is to existentially trip over one’s own foot, and thereby when we transcend the egoic mind, we come to move in a unified and optimized fashion. To step outside the ego, the idealized identity, the self-image, is to induce order and fluidity amidst the movement of one’s consciousness.
How do we transcend the image?
The image dissolves when the entirety of our attention is directed upon the immediacy of the present moment. When we are aligned with that which is felt we then go beyond the workings of self-image, and herein we come to free ourselves of all internal contradiction.
To live fully in the now is to get out of one’s own way. When the energy of our awareness is centralized in the present moment, then our paradoxical proclivities come to be dissolved.
So, we give way to the unveiling of our deeper nature through bringing our attention to that which arises in the here and now. When we come to skillfully engage the present moment we then move towards the manifestation of our greatest potential, our highest selves.
Our nature is perfect. All we need do is get out of the way of it and allow it to flourish.
