Listening to YOUR Conscience
“Other animals respond to innate drives, but humans have the capacity to make ethical as well as moral judgments. Call it conscience, values, or whatever you will, something in all of us rises up at times and says, “This is bad!” or “This is good!”
We ignore our conscience to our own peril. According to German philosopher, Jean Jacques Rousseau, the conscience is “the voice of the soul.” It is our divining rod to help us find what is right and true within us.
Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, once wrote, “A Native American elder described his own inner struggles in this manner: “Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time.” When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, “The one I feed the most.”
The moral of the story: Make Sure YOU Feed the Right One!” — Nido R. Qubein
Whatever you believe, whether you call it your conscience, your heart, the way you were raised or that which was instilled in you by your parents, there is a voice, a monitor, a guide, an insight, born into every human being. From the day you were born, this inner voice–guide-monitor, will begin to grow and develop. Once again, based on how you were raised, (and more often than not this is influenced by geography, i.e., where you were born and the views of that race of people), this inner guide will begin to develop. The keener you listen to this voice the easier it is to hear it. The more you ignore this voice the weaker and quieter it becomes.
As we grow, we find ourselves wanting to fit in, to be accepted, and to be a part of the in-crowd. To do this often requires we ignore that still small voice within; the voice simply trying to show us the best way for the long run. It is the voice of reason. This is not however, based on what is going on around us, the voice we want to hear. We want to hear the accolades of those around us. We want the acceptance of those we admire and hold in high esteem. As we turn away from that inner voice and focus on listening to the outer voices, we can get off track and out of focus on what would best serve as well as help us live a life of true happiness and fulfillment.
The answer lies in feeding the right dog (the right spirit) within you. This is the key to living a life of fulfillment. It is however, something each of us must develop. And, it seems some have to work at this harder than others. Perhaps this is due in part to the way they were raised, or perhaps it is due in part to an inherited trait. Whatever the reason, it seems for some, this is easier than it is for others. What each of us must do however, is we must recognize that following this inner voice is the best way to living life with the least stress, and the greatest reward.
If you find yourself at a place in life where your heart is hard, where you are no longer able to hear that inner voice, than I suggest you simply ask God to help restore your heart to a place of innocence such as is suggested in Psalms 51:10 where David cries out to God asking for his heart to be cleansed after living a life of following the approval of those outside of him and not his inner voice. David said, “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me…restore unto me the joy of a fresh new heart and renew a right spirit within me.” He knew it was time to start fresh and new. It was time to start again. We may find ourselves needing this more than once in our lives, but thankfully there is no limit on how often we can ask and receive a fresh new start. All that is required is for us to let yesterday go and move on into tomorrow free from the mistakes of yesterday.
Don’t be concerned about what others think. They may scoff; they may talk behind your back; they may call you a hypocrite, but regardless of what others say or think, do not let this be your concern. What you must do is forget your mistakes. Learn from them, but then move into tomorrow free of yesterday’s baggage. If you will do this, though it seems you have to do it more often than you should, soon you will find yourself needing to do it less and less. Before you know it, those of substance that are worthy of you and your friendship, will befriend you and want to be around you.
Best of LUCK as you
Labor Under Correct Knowledge…
Respectfully,
Rick Cox