This last week a question was posed to me regarding doing one’s personal best; a profoundly worthy question in these confusing times. 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 one’s best is fraught with questions regarding the motivation behind the goal. If I am attempting to do my “best” and I am doing it for monetary gain or for recognition, is my motivation really about a personal best? And why have I decided that this should be my personal best? A personal best in sports or other competitions is one thing, and a personal best is appropriate. In daily life, we are taught to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. I just wonder, dominated by ego as we are, if we are individually the best best perspective on what that “best” might be... Mightn’t our “best” 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 “personal best” and it is important to identify what those reasons are. 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 one’s personal Truth, with clarity of vision and honesty, seeing one’s motivation for action becomes clear. Do you act out of fear or divine direction? Do you see how this is similar to “doing the right thing for the wrong reason”? For example, if you choose to further yourself because you do not recognize your own gifts and unique qualities but still want to be “better” 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. Fear has become the motivator. “Personal best” 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. It simply is a choice. It is a judgment, and judgment implies either/or thinking as opposed to both/and. In Unity Consciousness, one must endeavor to accept ALL that each soul embodies, the “good” with the “bad”, 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.
As one begins to embrace Unity Consciousness, one must be willing to let go of patterns of behavior and thought that support separation. 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.
***This guidance column was written by Jan Finley for TheCosmicPath.com. It may be shared freely, but only when the author’s name and website are included.
Comments 1
Hi Jan, thank you for sharing this perspective – lots of food for thought! I agree, a society focused on individual achievement such as America might have a difficult time accepting we all have gifts, and these gifts are meant to uplift the group. I am so glad Steve Jobs did his best with the iphone, that Edison showed up everyday for years doing his best to harness electricity, that you have the ability to channel and share your thoughts with us, that my sister-in-law knows exactly how long to cook the pasta to bring out its best qualities. She taught me that we do our best (with every task/interaction) out of respect for self and others, that doing so contributes to the whole, raising everyone’s quality of life, and that we each have gifts, which need to be nurtured if they are to ripen into mastery. Imagine walking into a room full of people consciously thinking about the fact that everyone in there is better at something than your are, and yet you are the best at something, too. For me, it’s such a relief and a joy at the same time. Namaste.