The goal of life is to become myself, that is:
To actualise the potentialities of my Being, and
Thereby to accomplish that for which I am meant.
The goal is in no way selfish even though the words we use to describe it could lead to such interpretation.
I recently participated in a PRH (Personal & Human Relations) workshop titled “Living More Harmoniously”.
PRH workshops are a training to learn more on how to be oneself. I have incorporated both actual notes from the workshop as well as my own learnings and insights. I have been participating in many of the PRH workshops for many years now and I tell you, these workshops are beyond comprehension, life changing!
Diagram of the Pivotal Centres of the Human Person
THE BEING AND ITS FUNCTIONING
The Being is the dimension of the person which we sense at the depth of ourselves. In the Being we find:
Our identity (who am I) ,
Our essential course of action (what is my souls purpose),
Our essential bonds (my life giving relationships),
Our openness to a transcendent reality (healing our past wounds/ traumas).
The Being aspires to exist and unfold.
When it is fully alive, it functions normally. It expresses itself through action.
When it cannot exist fully, it is as if it loses its strength in a way. It becomes impossible for the Being to act through the decisions and activities of ordinary life.
SELF ALIENATION
There is self-alienation when we allow someone else to lead us and also when we allow one or another of our pivotal centres to control us. We are born totally dependent on others. We do not have enough understanding to act freely, but we are called to become free. The Being is the seat of our identity. The “I” is the seat of our intellect. With the growth and development of the “I”, the freedom and the will, comes the ability to exist in who I am. Those around us may help us but they may also keep us alienated by preventing us from living according to who we are and/or by teaching us to give in to others.
THE CONSCIENCE
The Socialised Conscience: the moral guide within the person develops from ideas of right or wrong, of what is allowed or not allowed, in the social environments in which he/she belongs, or has belonged. The expectations of others and the usual practices of society form the main influence on this type of conscience. It tries to protect the sensibility (the message centre) from uneasiness when the person is anxious not to make decisions that would displease others, or that others would not approve of or think well of. It looks for recognition and encouragement. Or it just wants to keep the peace and avoid disturbing others or situations, etc.
The Cerebral Conscience: this comes from principles and rules of life that guide persons to evaluate their actions and make decisions. These were received from parents, important persons and from groups to which the persons belonged. Whether they were aware of this or not, they took on these principles and rules as their own. They accepted them because they are the rules of their social environment today.
The Deep Conscience: this is a place of synthesis within the person. It brings together the movements of all of the pivotal centres to discern what is best for the Being and its becoming fully active. It makes itself clear in a unique way in each person, adapting itself to the total reality and the situation in which it must make a decision. "The deep conscience is the pivotal centre that guides people in the conduct of their life and in the pursuit of their complete fulfilment. It can be compared to the compass of a traveller, always available for consultation, to show the way to follow. It is the internal centre of reference that assesses what is suited to the Beings growth.”
The Influence of the Three Consciences: they do not always agree with one another. During a growth journey, they develop one after the other. Most often the socialised conscience develops first, followed by the cerebral conscience. Sometimes, the deep conscience does not develop. This happens when persons do not really accept who they are and their deep values. Then, the other two levels of conscience struggle with the actual decision. In a PRH growth journey, we invite persons to develop a habit of referring to their deep conscience. Awareness of the being and reference to it help greatly to the development of the deep conscience.
WHAT MOTIVATES ME TO LEARN TO EXIST IN COHERENCE WITH THE REALITIES OF MY BEING?
I realise how much I contribute to those around me by living a full expression of who I am. As I learn and acknowledge that I have much good to offer, it motivates me even more to fully exist. To be an even more contributing factor in the wellbeing of the lives of others. I appreciate, with no need for anything in return but the peace in my heart, that my existence makes a difference to the people in my life and in turn the people in their lives. I fully see this now. I bathe in the delight of my Being and the ripple effect outwardly into the world.
What is alive within me now at the end of this time for BEING?
Intuition; by paying attention to and listening to my sensibility, and by committing to my journey of inner healing. I have learnt to trust my intellect which has enabled the emergence and existence of my Being. Now I know. It is that I know but now I know, I know. It is vast. I remember who I am, I am light.
I embody my business ‘Shakti-Life’ – divine life force energy which flows through my body radiating out into life around me. FABULous – Fun, Authentic, Bubbly, Unique.
LIVING MYSELF MORE HARMONIOUSLY
Do I have within me an image, an object of art, an element of nature that symbolise the reality of harmony for me? I name it, and I briefly describe its characteristics.
The element of nature that symbolises the reality of harmony within me is the purple bougainvillea flower representing intuition, my intuition. It is like a canopy, it is vast. I can see it from a far distance, from many different angles, including the reflection in the water but I cannot touch it, I can only marvel at it and appreciate it – appreciate its presence.
The compost heap in the foreground is representative of healing the wounds/ traumas of the past, they all served their purpose and they will now decompose and return back to the soil where the regenerative cycle of life continues.
I identify and name the sensations awakened in me. I analyse the sensation that attracts me the most so as to nurture this sensation of harmony in me.
The sensations awakened in me are a sense of awe and magnitude also how there is an unseen force joining this together. I feel it is experiential, the interconnectedness of everything, the oneness. The sensation is so vast within me it is almost difficult to fully express in words or pictures.
WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT MY EVOLUTION OF HOW I HAVE I LED MY LIFE UP UNTIL NOW?
I see now how I have listened to my deep conscience, there are occasions where there have been years of denying my Being and not able to concur with the messages from my sensibility as my other two consciences have influenced me. However, I see/ feel that the Being MUST emerge and exist and it is through this sense of urgency that I am evolving. Each occasion in my life where the deep conscience has existed fully I have made life changing decisions/ choices accelerating me forwards, enabling the existence of my Being. It seems to arise when I feel I have reached my ceiling and there are no more avenues or options to explore in that current situation. I do not want to be stunted, there is a volcano of creativity inside of me waiting to be expressed (the growth dynamism of the Being).
I make decisions freely; in line with the direction I want to give to my life and in faithfulness to who I am, in accordance with my deep conscience.
“The growth of persons depends largely on their way of making decisions and of acting in their daily lives, in faithfulness to their deep conscience.”
For more information on PRH you can check out the Facebook page, PRH South Africa – Education and both the South African and International web pages as well as.
Komen