Quote: All that you have is already within you.
– Ram Dass
During the most difficult times, amid our darkest hours, we often desperately want someone who has all the answers. We need something that will ensure us that everything will soon be okay. When help is needed, it can feel supportive to simply have a place, a space, or a person to lean on. However, I often caution people to be wary of those who try to give you the answer, even when you really want to hear it from them. A person can only offer you their advice, they cannot give you what you need. The realization of Ram Dass’ wisdom often starts with the help of others in our lives, yet it is a mistake to confuse the guide as the one with all of the answers, for the truth is that what you seek is already inside you.
At times, clients will believe that I’ve “saved” them, implying that the transformation came from me, but I do not believe this to be true. I believe that I offer the opportunity for them to find their way back home to their inner wisdom and truth, which in DBT is called WISE MIND. WISE MIND is a synthesis or an integration of all ways of knowing, emotions, reason, and intuition. The ability to tap into this broader and integrated way of knowing and understanding truth while making important decisions is facilitated as one contemplates in a peaceful, quiet state. And don’t be fooled by the term wise MIND, for this wisdom lives in the BODYand often speaks in sensation rather than in words.
Helpers, teachers, therapists, and sacred texts can help you navigate the path to wise mind living, but the truth is found within you. Mindfulness skills are the tools that can help build this important connection to our WISE MIND. You may be asking WHAT do I do? HOW do I do it? And WHY should I even bother? Most people need the WHY before they are willing to embark upon applying the what and how of mindfulness skills. For the purpose of this blog, I will keep it very simple as I share the top five reasons to connect with Wise Mind.
- Wise Mind is your inner compass that can lead you toward a life worth living.
- When all is lost, including yourself, you will still have this inner wisdom to turn to for strength, guidance, and light.
- Wise Mind is like the proverbial mother and father combined, offering us comfort, understanding, and a push toward wise action.
- It is a faithful friend. No matter how many times you go against Wise Mind, it will never go against you.
- What seems difficult to the rational mind and emotional mind, is simple to Wise Mind. Simple may not mean easy or pain free; however, when in alignment and while taking wise action, things tend to unfold with greater ease.
Don’t trust me or believe me? Try it out for yourself. Look for more posts on the HOW and WHAT of mindfulness skills in DBT.
