Do I Need a Guru
If you’re asking yourself “Do I Need a Guru?” then this article is for you. Do I believe there are any hard and fast rules to personal development, any rights and wrongs or do’s and don’ts, well honestly no, I believe we’re all equipped to discover our true path in whichever way we choose, and exercising our autonomous emotional muscles is the right way to go about it.
Are the mistakes we make important to our experience, ultimate life path and eventual destination? I think so, for me most definitely.
Of course, it’s always interesting to hear how other people solve problems, or untangle complex issues relating to their own personal growth; however, would their method of solution be the right course of action for you?
Well that would be for you to decide, you may be lucky enough to find certain traits or similarities which resonate with your own beliefs and principles, but ultimately I believe you should be the one who’s responsible for the discovery of your own truths resulting from your own experiences.
Taking the many opinions of others as food for thought, a definite yes! Hanging on some self-proclaimed guru or sage’s word, a wholehearted and resounding no!
There’s Simply No Substitute
As easy and interesting as it is to sit back and read about other’s life experiences, and the solutions they swear by, it’s no substitute for getting out there and making the mistakes, crying the tears, suffering the disappointments, celebrating the achievements, relishing in the excitement and carving your own path through life.
I remember as a child being told climbing trees and walls were dangerous, my parents trying to impart their experience onto me. Did I listen to their requests, and stop climbing trees and walls? No of course not. Did I ever fall from a tree or wall? Yes quite a few times, ending up in hospital more than once.
So why didn’t I listen and learn, heeding the warnings from my parents about climbing trees and walls? Why did I choose to find out for myself, the possible dangers involved in such pursuits?
I must have known intuitively that I should be learning my own lessons, it has never been enough for me to be simply told something is this way or that, I have to experience it for myself before I am satisfied.
Children are the best teachers when it comes to being true to ourselves. Children are naturally inclined to follow their inner guidance system, resulting in more authentic and unconditioned decisions.
I believe we are all searchers in life, seeking and mapping our own destinies as we travel, and this is why we seek the advice and guidance of others. Believing that someone else, more experienced or better equipped, can show us the true path we should be taking.
But who better to seek advice from than ourselves. We have everything we need at our disposal; after all, everyone comes with the same factory settings.
When I read other writers articles or books I find I am drawn to specific similarities within them, which either resonate with me in some way or not. So really, what I’m doing is seeking alignment with my own internal decision making, and once found, feeling assured there is another human being out there who thinks or feels a similar way to myself.
But ultimately would I take the advice of this person and do exactly what they had done to achieve their result, absolutely not. I may use some part of what they had written to further my own thought processes, but I would always use my own judgement, principles and internal guidance system in achieving my own personal result.
What lies underneath this search for similarity? Is it a lack of confidence in our own decision making process? Or is it about connection with another human being? Maybe it’s a little of both.
Obviously there’s a difference between reading what someone else has to say on a subject, recognising similarities and being emotionally soothed or motivated by this, and looking for someone else to solve your problems or improve your life in some way. I would guess most people are just looking for that human connection.
We’re All Guru’s
What makes some people seek advice and others offer it, well I think we all do a little of both at different times. A person who may be considered a guru will still seek the connection with another to discuss life’s trials and tribulations, no matter how well informed they may seem to you and me.
We all have, or have had, people in our lives we admire at one time or another. People who we connect with on a spiritual or emotional level, and whose opinion we value deeply. I would say the connection with that person is much more important than any advice they could offer.
The opinions of others are just that, their opinions. Other people cannot see the world from your exclusive viewpoint, and although they may have your best interests at heart, and care for you deeply, they can only offer their advice from their own reality.
I always welcome advice and guidance from the people who are close to me, but ultimately I take it with a pinch of salt. I recognise the limitations of the third person viewpoint, no matter how well meaning and congruent the advice may be.
And here comes the quandary, aren’t I trying to impart my opinion and viewpoint to you the reader, with this article? Of course, but I’ve made the warning label pretty clear I hope.
You may be thinking, why then am I providing a website that offers exactly what I am advising against? Well that’s a fairly simple one to answer, I write because I love it, and because I’m genuinely interested in the subject of personal development and feel if it helps even one person, it will have been worthwhile.
However, I don’t profess to know the answer to any question you may be here seeking, and my point is, neither does anyone else.
I’m not asking anyone to follow my advice, and never would, I’m merely offering my third-party opinion, in the hope that it may give you some food for thought, and food for thought only!
We all enjoy a good read, and more and more people are turning to the internet seeking solutions for all types of problems these days. I just hope that they are seeking mental nourishment rather than advice to follow.
Looking within for answers to the many questions you have, could be the wisest decision you make in life. But then, why take my word for that, you know best!