It is human nature to follow what others are doing, it is quite normal to hold beliefs that the majority of humanity holds. You see, my friends, being part of a group, being part of something greater than ourselves, is the dominant factor in the human experience. Basically, we want to feel as though we belong. In the world of psychology, this is known as the “herd instinct”, and it is this that provides for us the “path of least resistance”. To think like others, to try to be like others, is a normal and necessary part of our development. And, to a certain extent, it is important that we comply with the norms and conditions as set forth by the group in which we find ourselves. What is not understood by us, however, is that this is only the first stage of our development. Ironically, there comes a time in our life when we need to separate ourselves from the herd in order to understand who we are as an individual and what we can provide from our own unique quality, experience, and perspective to the greater group of which we are indeed an integral part. This temporary separation is quite painful and scary at first, but if we stay with it, we begin to understand the need for a sense of psychological and emotional independence that will help us know what this unique quality is. By adding our individuality and uniqueness to humanity, each other human being will benefit, for it will encourage them to make their contribution as well. This is a beautiful and powerful realization each of us will have one day. It makes the achievement of independence worth pursuing.
A great analogy to the importance of independence is when our mothers ask us, “If Johnny jumped off a bridge, would you join him? Just because Mary makes fun of Alison’s dress, do you have to make fun of her too?” You see where I’m going with this. No matter how much we want to belong, no matter how desperate we are to be accepted, there will be times when we cannot go along with the group if we know something is wrong or harmful. There are times, my friends, when we have to risk it all and say no. We must stand up on our own, all alone, and say and do what we feel is right. Interestingly, as we gain this hard-earned independence, we open ourselves to receive the new and better ways that can be brought to humanity and the world when the time is right. When we arrive at that point in our lives, we will know in our hearts, we’re doing what we’re supposed to do. Yes, we will feel different because of this, there will be times when it seems we don’t belong. There will be many times when we lack the courage we need to proceed, for this is not an easy thing to accomplish. Perhaps we need to recall our motivation to set ourselves apart from the herd in the first place. You see, our independence is brought forward because we notice something about the reality we find ourselves in that doesn’t make sense anymore. There’s something about what the majority believes that doesn’t seem quite right. The basic truths that humanity lives by no longer fit into the new and better reality that we are becoming aware of. Once we truly commit to the establishment of the new and better ways we see, our independence has been achieved. Once we are able to stand on our own, without the help of others, our individuality becomes the impetus to move forward unimpeded. We need to remember in those times of discouragement, just because the majority does things a certain way, just because most people believe something is true doesn’t necessarily mean it is so. We can pull up that inner knowing, we can trust, we can be patient. I assure you, the fear of being separate and different will dissipate. Being ok with this, being willing to accept this temporary state of affairs, prepares us for the next phase of our journey.
For those of you who have found an independence from mass thought and mass belief, what you will find next is yet another group to which you belong. These are the others of like mind and like heart I so often speak of. Our temporary isolation is now coming to an end, and this is quite a relief. It is time to be with the other members of our group, for although what we see, what we want to create has great value and benefit to ourselves and humanity, we notice we cannot do it alone. We require a mutual support that will help us identify more with our essential purpose, for these others are kindred spirits who have the same ideas, goals, and qualities that we found within the development of our individual sense of identity. In essence, the sense of self we created becomes larger and more inclusive. The true meaning of the group becomes clearer to us now, we understand the need to be together and work together. This new development is truly amazing, for again, we realize we don’t have to do it alone, and we will in fact be much more willing to proceed because of this newly found support and mutual cooperation. We no longer have to worry whether our pursuits, what we hope to create and bring forward is correct, for there are others who are moving in the same direction! We can also be assured that the potential for success is much greater, for the group has more power than the individual could ever hope to have. Now, we have arrived at the place we have always wanted to be. This is a good thing, for the doorway of opportunity, possibility, and potential is increased thousand-fold.
Now that we have defined our new home, now that we have discovered how we are going to proceed, we must be honest and realistic about the reality that is before us. Although we have indeed become aware of a better way, there is still a large portion of the majority that remains in a place of danger. This large group within humanity is still swayed by fear and uncertainty. Because they are unable to think for themselves, or think clearly at all, they are unfortunately prone to violence, conspiracies, and untruths. The “herd” is in pain and confusion. But, my friends, those who still find themselves in the herd are not animals. They are our fellow brothers and sisters. Yes, they lack understanding, for they do not have that sense of independence at their disposal that will help them see the better way that we see today. This is our opportunity to bring forward the love and compassion at our disposal. Our appropriate responsibility becomes clear. We must know, in every part of our being, that the love, compassion and responsibility that is ours will work in every way. My friends, we need to recognize that we used to be in this unfortunate state as well in the distant past. In this way, we see that our younger brothers and sisters need us and, more importantly, we will know how to properly assist. You see, it is easy to judge, to attack, to make them feel worse than they already feel by making them wrong for their lack of experience and understanding. It should be obvious, this is not helpful. We can remember how difficult it was to become independent ourselves, how challenging it was to achieve that necessary individuality. It is our opportunity to give this strength to the ones who need it the most. It is our opportunity today, to come forward with what we have to offer, our service to humanity, or we can return to being a child within the herd. The choice is quite clear, clearer than it has ever been.
Before we end today, let’s consider a brief description of the three stages of human and spiritual development. It is the same process for every human being, and it will be seen as a welcomed and necessary pathway to wholeness and completion. We do, fellow companions, share the same Divine Imperative.
The first part of our development is being in the herd. At this stage, we have little if any ability to think for ourselves. We do not have a sense of who we are as an individual self. “To get along, I must go along” is the motto here. The second stage is moving apart from the herd to gain a sense of independence and individuality that is required to understand our unique quality and experience that greater humanity can benefit from. This is the most difficult part of our development, for it is indeed a lonely time. Remember, friends, many stand beside you. The motto here is, “I choose to separate myself from the group in order to discover who this self is”. This is the middle or intermediate stage and is also the shortest period of time in our overall process of development. This stage is the goal for the majority of humanity at this time. After this second stage is complete, we enter our third and final stage. We now become a conscious part of the group of souls to which we have always belonged. Freedom has been found. The full understanding of ourselves as an individual is now seen as purpose within the greater whole. A new work, a group work, is now undertaken. We become the servers. Our role is to educate, to heal, to move humanity forward into greater light and love. The motto here, “I and the group are One”. This is the smallest group within humanity in terms of development, but our numbers are growing day by day. We have no reason to believe that being outnumbered indicates an inability to succeed. Things are really tough right now, for humanity itself is at a point of crisis. Again, no matter where you find yourself in your personal journey, you can be of help. Every person, every effort counts. It is a trust, a steadiness, an inner knowing that will see us through.
Thanks for being here, everyone. Seek independence in your thinking, for this will open new and better ways for you. Be ok with disagreement, for many still live in fear. Humanity itself, the entire world, is moving forward into something much better, and this time is rapidly approaching. We all entertain a little fear when something new is upon us. Remember this, my friends, in all interaction with others. A little love goes a long way!
Speaking of mottos, let’s end with my particular favorite:
Together, we will achieve
*To all of you spiritual students out there, I took a simplified approach in the description of the three stages of our development, without being too esoteric. If you’re familiar with the teachings, an accurate description must always be viewed in terms of the development of consciousness. So, we have: Unconsciousness to Self-consciousness to Group-consciousness. Do you see how our level of participation changes as we move along? As the Master Khul would say, “Ponder on this”. Have a great day!
All my love and support, be well