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As a child, my inner dialogue led me to pick up the practice of saving seemingly important items. I remember admiring a box marked “Important Old Stuff” filled with things that my grandfather collected, so I began the habit of collecting things that were of interest to me.
Looking back years later, I realized that my “inner dialogue” had shifted toward the habit of collecting what I saw as important stuff largely because of how I interpreted the meaning of my grandfather’s “Important Old Stuff” box.
I had become convinced that “important things” must somehow be magical things. I’ve come to account for this childlike assumption as an example of the latent child in all of us. Children tend to experience certain aspects of life with a depth and intensity that we usually grow away from as adults.
Connecting my outer world with my inner dialogue
One of the effects that this assumption had on my life was that I began to notice special moments and to collect things that represented specific memories more often. Growing ever more curious, I also began to listen to and observe my experiences more closely.
I found myself returning to those collected objects in an effort to make “collective sense” of them. Eventually I came to recognize them as representing my own internal dialogue. As I became increasingly able to understand the content of my inner conversations, I also began to realize the extent to which this inner dialogue had been directing my life.
Where my inner dialogue led me
In one striking example of this interaction, I discovered that I had unknowingly moved within two blocks of a leading biomedical research center at UCSF. As it turned out, this research center produced the breakthroughs that would eventually inspire some of my best work. (UCSF refers to University of California, San Francisco)
It was only after living right beside UCSF for two years that I realized the connection between their research, my inner dialogue, and the life changing choices I would make as a result. As I continued to closely observe my internal dialogue (my inner world), I noticed a pattern of similar so called “coincidences” had occurred over and over again throughout my life.
Connecting the dots
Once I discovered this “missing link,” between my subconscious thoughts and my external reality, I realized my internal vision for my life as directed by my inner dialogue had always been influencing the course of my life.
I clearly saw how my internal dialogue was literally bringing form to my external life, just as it does for each of us. This led to the realization that what most of us think of as our “life” is actually just an external manifestation of our inner dialogue.
My profound conclusion was this: If I came to know my inner world as well as I knew my outer world, then, just as I am able to map the terrain of my outer world, I would be empowered to explore and map the pathways of my inner world. I would be able to see and understand this silent internal realm and to apply conscious control over my inner life to improve every aspect of my external life.
How inner mastery leads to freedom
Here is what I have discovered through my research and personal experience. Just as our growing mastery of the material world empowers us with freedoms that we could scarcely imagine a few years ago, learning to master our inner life nurtures similar unimaginable freedoms and abilities on a much deeper level.
I’m Dr. Sean Sullivan and in an upcoming article for Advanced Life Skills I want to share with you some very interesting research that will further detail exactly how your “Inner Life” brings form to your “Outer Life.” Once you can actually hear and see your “inner world” with clarity, you can easily create and follow your own map that will lead you to the “outer life” you choose to live.
