(souljourney) Tension & Growth

Tension and Growth

A most fundamental fact of life is tension, without which no growth is possible. Every action has an opposite and equal reaction. Every movement implies a resistance to that movement. There is always an energy that is being penetrated or affected in some way, and therefore there is always a self preservation tendency resisting it. Since nothing is ever static, and is always moving and changing, everything is always meeting some opposing force.

In order for a seed to start to grow it usually needs either heat or cold. Some seeds need to be frozen in order to wake them up. When the seed starts to grow it meets the resistance of the shell covering it. Then it needs to push its way through a resistant soil. When it breaks through this barrier it must grow against the force of gravity, the heat of the sun and the winds that blow against it. All of these do not inhibit it at all, but help it to grow into a mature, strong plant with flower or fruit.

The order in nature is maintained through the principle of tension. Every planet's orbit is determined by the particular tensions acting upon it. Fruits ripen by the various tensions influencing them. Even babies are born through huge resistance.

There are two ideas that need to be examined in order to understand them in the light of tension. One is the idea of survival. When we think of survival we usually imply defensiveness of the status quo. The truth of the matter is that survival depends upon our ability to change, to adapt to outside influences which constantly affect us. So in order to survive and thrive we need to grow. Growth is not the opposite of survival, but an integral part of it.

The other idea that we cherish and need to understand better is that of comfort. Everyone seeks comfort, and usually thinks of comfort as a state in which we do not have to do anything – almost a state of inertia. The truth of the matter is that comfort is a state of harmony – when inwardly we are at peace with our environment. This implies acceptance and adaptation to our environment. It requires a lack of resistance on our part and a tolerance of limitations. We are truly comfortable when we are fully present wherever we are and do not want to be elsewhere physically, emotionally or mentally.

The opposing forces in life always carry two potentials. These two potentials define what growth is:

1. To make something stronger and more defined in its being.

2. To make something change into more of what it has the potential of becoming.

To apply this principle to our human life we can see that resistance and opposition is essential. The very fact of diversity or lack of sameness assures us that resistance and opposition will always be with us. We must see this as positive and essential to life and growth.

The place where growth takes place is in the present. The present is the point of tension between what was and what can be, between the past and the future. That is a very dynamic place where change takes place and where growth occurs. That is where we need to be conscious in order to participate in the processes taking place.

When we are not conscious in the present the result is not growth but heightening tension that may be experienced as conflict of one sort or another. The conflict will be in the area of life where change is occurring but we are not paying attention to it and are resisting what is happening. If it is in a relationship then we experience the conflict in the relationship. It could equally be in any area of our life from our economy to our health.

Exercises: 1. Where is a point of tension or conflict in your life right now? Describe it. 2. How can this make you stronger and more defined (independent, authentic, etc.) as to your individuality? (This is typically at a personality level.) 3. How is this challenging you to awaken some potential? What potential? What quality? (This is typically at a soul level.)

values and philosophy of life

Your philosophy of life is your guide for living. It always must include a set of values to live by, and a sense of which are more important than others.

Value relates to the intrinsic worth of something. And since everything has some intrinsic worth because of its soul, everything has value. But our set of values will be relative to the importance we give to something – that is, what it is worth to us.

Whatever we find of value is worth spending time and energy on. In fact, if we value something it demands our time and energy. Some things that we value conflict with other things that we value. For example, we might value our job which demands a lot of time and attention, and we also value our family which also demands a lot of time and attention. These are conflicts that need to be resolved. When we don't pay attention to the conflicts, our conditioning determines which values we give more time and energy.

There are three kinds of values we need to be aware of because they all influence us and if we do not recognize either their presence or their necessity in our life, we will experience conflict and not be able to do anything about it.

1. Universal values
2. Cultural values
3. Personal values

1. Universal Values

These values are common to all human beings by virtue of the fact that we all have a human soul and a spiritual soul. Universal values are aspects of consciousness, or are soul qualities that emanate from our essence. Because for most of us they are not easy to attain we think of them as ideals rather than as values we can actually live by. They are not easy to manifest consistently because they are universal and most often we are personal. When we are personal we are somewhat egotistical and frequently motivated by unconscious survival mechanisms. Cultural values also frequently contradict universal values.

Some universal values are:

Truth, Beauty, Goodness, Cooperation, Unity, Happiness, Peace, Love, Acceptance, Kindness, Justice, Courage, Honesty, Respect

2. Cultural Values

Cultural values are the values that people in a society or culture have in common. They are not typically universal nor personal, but collective. They are usually unconscious and therefore influence people without them being aware of it. A common example would be that success is a measure of an individual's worth, and success is measured by a person's ability to acquire wealth or wield power. So even if we have no personal tendency that reflects this cultural value, our subconscious is affected by it. We might feel that it is a preferred value, or that if we have conflicting values to this that there might be something wrong with us. It can undermine our efforts in other directions.

We need to become conscious of the cultural values that prevail in our society and how they might be affecting us – especially becoming aware of the universal values that they contradict or our personal values that might be in conflict with them.

3. Personal Values

Our personal values are a result of both conditioning and our level of consciousness. They are neither good nor bad, right nor wrong, unless they contradict a universal value. Personal values can be values of the personality or an emanation from soul. When they are only of the personality they can be egotistical, limited and conditional, whereas values emanating from soul, and therefore universal, are altruistic, unlimited and unconditional.

When we experience conflict between a personal value and a universal value, we are inwardly conflicted because we are pulled in opposite directions. The personality is pulling one way, the soul the other. The goal of all experience in our personality is integration with soul. When we inhibit this process, tension results.

When there is a value conflict in our life, we intuitively know it, and we intuitively know which value must prevail. Sometimes we choose not to listen to our inner guidance and deepen the conflict or tension. When we do this, we typically use some justification for our lesser choice – some defence mechanism – so that we can temporarily ease our guilt for making a decision for something of lesser value.

Summary

• Your philosophy of life is your guide to living your dreams and fulfilling your purpose.

• You must know what your personal values are and you must align them with universal values if you are to have inner peace or grow in consciousness.

• You also must know what cultural values are influencing you, when they are influencing you and to what extent they undermine your adherence to universal values.

• When you respond to preferences you have, become aware of what values are reflected in those preferences. Are they values that are most meaningful to you or are they part of your unconscious conditioning that ultimately inhibits your development of consciousness?

Exercises: 1. In the work that you do is there good opportunity to express your personal values? 2. Is there a conflict between the values of your work and your personal values? 3. Is there a conflict between the values of your work and universal values? (If you can't answer these questions regarding 'work' then substitute the word 'lifestyle.')