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This last week a question was posed to me regarding doing oneās personal best; a profoundly worthy question in these confusing times.Ā As we learn to live in Unity, we must question what we have been taught historically and question our reactions and responses to that conditioning.
The concept of doing oneās best is fraught with questions regarding the motivation behind the goal.Ā Ā If Ā I am attempting to do my ābestā and I am doing it for monetary gain or for recognition, is my motivation really about a personal best? Ā And why have I decided that this should be my personal best?Ā Ā Ā A personal best in sports or other competitions is one thing, and a personal best is appropriate.Ā In daily life, we are taught to be the best version of ourselves that we can be.Ā I just wonder, dominated by ego as we are, if we are individually the best best perspective on what thatĀ ābestā might be… Mightnāt our ābestā change with our perspective, our focus, our criteria, and our motivation?
I do not attempt to make an argument one way or the other. The purpose is simply to make you aware that there are many reasons why we each attempt a āpersonal bestā and it is important to identify what those reasons are.Ā In Unity thinking, we have to remember that what we do for one, we do for all because our energies and our personal motivation absolutely affect everyone around us. What we clear for ourselves, we clear for everyone. It is so important to remember that.
And so I am told:
When one is aligned with oneās personal Truth,Ā with clarity of vision and honesty, seeing oneās motivation for action becomes clear. Do you act out of fear or divine direction? Do you see how this is similar to ādoing the right thing for the wrong reasonā?Ā For example, if you choose to further yourself because you do not recognize your own gifts and unique qualities but still want to be ābetterā than those you have set your self in competition with, you are acting from a place of shadow, rather than following the direction of the Higher Self.Ā Fear has become the motivator.Ā āPersonal bestā is a concept that must be examined for motivation, with clear and heartfelt honesty. Being the best one can be at any given time is, in and of itself, not a positive or negative.Ā It simply is a choice.Ā It is a judgment, and judgment implies either/or thinking as opposed to both/and.Ā In Unity Consciousness, one must endeavor to accept ALL that each soul embodies, the āgoodā with the ābadā, so to speak. The pressure of cultural influence cannot be ignored, so each being must face their own inner truth with clarity and an open and loving heart.Ā
As one begins to embrace Unity Consciousness, one must be willing to let go of patterns of behavior and thought that support separation.Ā One must take the time to think with the heart and embrace with the mind, allowing new insights and patterns of behavior to develop and replace those outworn patterns.Ā
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***This guidance column was written by Jan Finley for TheCosmicPath.com. It may be shared freely, but only when the authorās name and website are included.