“The next message you need is always right where you are.”
Ram Dass, Sunbeams (Page 7)
Beyond the Quote (Day 379)
Did you read that right? The next message you need—not the next message you want. Most of us are pretty good at ignoring the messages we don’t want to hear. So much so that many of us, I suspect, become blind and deaf to their presence entirely. The problem, of course, is that those messages tends to be the very messages that we most need to hear. And how do we hear something that we’ve become deaf to? How can we see again the messages that we’ve become blind to? It’s actually quite simple really.
We just have to take our hands off our ears and open our eyes. We’re not deaf and blind by consequence—we’re choosing to be deaf and blind by choice. In our ongoing attempt to seek comfort and avoid pain we’re avoiding the messages that might contain pain and seeking comfort in the immediate pleasures that are at our disposal. But, this strategy is narrow-sighted and short-term. Covering our eyes and plugging our ears is a good strategy for when we want to sleep—not a good strategy for when we want to wake up.
And if you want to wake up, then you need to do just that—uncover and unplug. You need to uncover what the underlying issues are in your relationships—with others and yourself. You need to unplug your ears from your loved ones and have those hard conversations that are being muted. You need to uncover what real potential and ability you have inside and take risks, make mistakes, and produce more art. You need to unplug those bottled up feelings that are curdling anger, resentment, frustration, and hatred inside, and rebalance your being.
It’s time to finally receive the next message of your journey. The one that’s been stuck in your inbox for as long as you’ve kept it there. No more only opening up the messages you want to read—it’s time to open up the message(s) you need to read. And they’re closer to where you are than you might realize. For, what you’re looking for isn’t something in front of you—it’s inside of you. What you’re listening for isn’t something around you—it’s within you. Your next message isn’t something that needs to be sought out or traveled to—because it’s already right here, with you, right where you are.
In a Tweet:
Read Next: Meaning of the Quote: “Where There’s Hardship, There’s Ease” (Day 378)
NEW In The Shop: Don’t Let The Tame Ones Tell You How To Live [Poster]
Why We ♥ It: Some of the best advice I (Matt here) ever got was: don’t take life advice from people who aren’t living a life you want to live and don’t take criticism from people you wouldn’t go to for advice. I created this poster to act as a reminder to listen more closely to our role models and less closely to our critics, trolls, and tamed-comfort-zone-hugger acquaintances. It’s also a perfect gift for the outdoor adventurer, travel enthusiast, or solo explorer (or soon to be). Available in print or digital download. 👇🏼
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Written by Matt Hogan
Founder of MoveMe Quotes. On a mission to help busy people do inner work—for better mental health; for healing; for personal growth. Find me on Twitter / IG / Medium. I also share daily insights here. 🌱
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