Conscience-Inner Freedom
The difference between Conscience and Guilt
In my 30s, I had a Family to care for; I helped build a successful business and volunteered in several organizations. Life was good. But it was also very busy and stressful. Most of the time, I felt pushed around by everyone else’s priorities and demands.
I did not realize it then, but I had lost my anchor. As I reflect on these years, I come to some important conclusions. I acted more out of guilt than anything. I allowed other people’s priorities to come first.
How could I be so unaware of this happening? It simply was the easy way at the moment.
If I had instead listened to my conscience or Inner Voice, I would have lived my life differently. Our home would have been a happy home instead of just a place to eat, sleep, keep our stuff in order, etc., and family members hurrying from here to there, always frantically trying to do more.
Everyone has the same amount of time. I spent too much time and energy reacting to circumstances rather than thinking hard about what is most important in our lives.
If I could live these years again, I would permit myself to take time regularly to reflect, evaluate, meditate, and recharge my battery and make the necessary adjustments to my goals and plans.
Most importantly, I would pay adequate attention to each of my family members, and not just externally but internally — take the time to listen genuinely. I would, as I do now, reduce activities, buy less stuff, and eliminate useless distractions. It is surprising how much time, space, and energy gets wasted daily. Now, I can enjoy Life as it is.
If only I had realized these points earlier. Back in the 80’s — “Multitasking” was the craze. How crazy it was when I think about it now. Why is it that we are compelled to achieve more?
We are comparing ourselves constantly with others and becoming more miserable in the process.
A fine-tuned conscience will guide us and let us know when we are going off track in some area of our lives. Listening and responding to our conscience will fill us with joy and inner peace no matter what challenges we might face.
Everyone has a conscience or inner voice. Why are most people not aware of that inner voice? For the same reason as I have described in the above paragraph.
How can we develop and cultivate this inner voice?
Step 1:
Remember a time in your life when things worked well for you, when you felt right about your life.
Step 2:
Think and reflect deeply on how you made important decisions. What were they based on — fear, confidence, clarity of purpose? Did you have a realistic assessment of your abilities and limitations?
Step 3:
Now, go back to the present stage of your life. What is truly important to you? Be brutally honest but kind to yourself. Being honest with oneself is a crucial step. Then, choose the # 1 priority. After that comes the easy part. Set goals and make realistic plans. The reason so many goals are never achieved is because we don’t decide our #1 Priority— Which is what we truly want out of Life. Not anybody else — WE, what do we want? It is interesting how few people ever bother to find that out.
Step 4
Learn — yes, learn — to trust that inner voice, conscience, or intuition and follow it. We may be hesitant initially but gain confidence as we continue this path. Start with small steps, and soon, you will notice how different you feel — confident, joyful, and looking forward to meeting new challenges rather than dreading them.
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” — William Murray
The difference between guilt and conscience—
One day I decided to take back my life. I realized what the purpose of conscience is. Going beyond the 10 commandments. How to develop true confidence. Inner locus conscience
In my 30s, I had a family to take care of; I helped build a business with my husband and participated in social activities. Life was good. But it was also very busy and stressful. Most of the time, I felt pushed around by everyone else’s priorities and demands. I did not realize it then, but I had lost my anchor. As I reflect on these years, I come to some important conclusions. I acted more out of guilt than anything. I allowed other people’s priorities to take precedence. How could I be so unaware of this happening?
If I had instead listened to my conscience (inner voice), I would have lived my life differently. Our Home would have been a happy one. Our priorities would have been different. Everyone has the same amount of time. I spent too much time and energy reacting to circumstances rather than thinking hard and figuring out the most important aspects of our lives.
If I could live these years again, I would give myself permission — even make it a top priority to take time out regularly to reflect, meditate, recharge, and adjust my goals and plans. Most importantly, I would be paying adequate attention to each of my family members and put them at the very top of my priorities. This means that nothing else could come before that. I realize now that I had this upside down. If only I had realized this back then. If all the articles and books I read would have put more emphasis on that. Back in the ’80s, “Multitasking” was the craze. How crazy I think, in hindsight. I realize now that less is more! Why is it that we are compelled to want to achieve more and more? We are comparing ourselves constantly with others and becoming more and more miserable.
A fine-tuned conscience will tell us our priorities at any given moment. Listening and responding to our conscience will fill us with joy and inner peace no matter the challenges.
Everyone has a conscience or inner voice. Why are most people not aware of and following that voice? For the same reason, I didn’t as I described this state of mind in the above paragraph.
How can we take it back at any given point in our life? It feels great to be in control of our lifes/
Step 1:
Remember a time in your life, where things worked well for you. When you felt right.
Step 2:
Think, reflect deeply on how you made decisions, what were they based on? Did you have a sense of your abilities, your limitations etc.
Step 3:
Now go back to the present stage in your life. What is truly important to you? Be brutally honest but kind to yourself. Being honest with oneself about what we truly value is a crucial step. Then choose three priorities in setting your goals — one being the #1 priority.
Step 4:
Learn — yes learn — to trust that inner voice, concscience or intuition and follow it. We may be afraid at first but gain confidence as we move along.. Start with small steps at first. It will get easier and easier. Finally we find our ourselves to tackle difficult situations we never thought we would be able t
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” — William Murray
