Be the Change

Never have we needed enlightened leadership more than we do now. While humankind has faced wars, economic and social injustice, natural disasters, and terrorism since its earliest days, for the first time in history we have the technological capacity to obliterate our existence and life on the planet. At this critical juncture, we can’t depend on the government, no matter how well meaning, or anyone beyond ourselves to come up with solutions; each of us must step into the role of the leader and, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, become the change we wish to see in the world.

We can begin by asking ourselves the foundational questions that give life meaning:

Who am I? What are my deepest desires and intentions? How can I fulfill my life’s purpose to make a difference?

These are known as the soul questions and are the theme of the Chopra Center’s Summer 21-Day Meditation Challenge, which begins August 15. If we really want to make a difference in the world, we need to explore and answer these questions to the best of our ability, because being in touch with the soul is the secret of inspired leadership.

The power base of great leaders doesn’t come from other people, titles, or financial resources, but from their very being. They know their core values, are filled with passion, and are dedicated to a personal vision or purpose. True leaders, or what I refer to as successful visionaries, don’t have to seek followers because as they put their vision for a better world into a tangible form, other people naturally turn to them for guidance and leadership in the way forward.

Living and Leading from the Soul

Our soul offers us the highest inspiration in every moment. While our mind may be mired in confusion and fear, our soul has clarity and love. Until we turn to this infinite source of quiet wisdom, we will keep falling back on old habits and stale answers. But as we cultivate access to our soul’s awareness, creative new ideas, opportunities, and possibilities will spontaneously reveal themselves. We will be connected to our own inner guide that will help us choose the most evolutionary path among the many possible paths available in every moment.

Awareness is the source of insight, nurturing, creativity, intuition, inspiration, and transcendence – qualities that every successful visionary possesses and which are available to you, too. Wherever you are starting from, the path to higher consciousness is always open to you. While there are many ways to expand consciousness, I have found that one of the most powerful yet simplest practices is meditation.

When you meditate, you connect to the source of your awareness and the birthplace of all possibilities.

You go beyond the mind’s internal dialogue into the realm of pure consciousness. And the qualities of pure consciousness are the ones that structure the infinite diversity of the university, including pure potentiality, freedom, acceptance, peace, love, coherence, flexibility, unboundedness, and bliss.

As you meditate with regularity, your experience of these qualities will expand in your daily life and will ripple out to affect the consciousness of everyone with whom you come into contact and beyond. In this way, you will serve as an inspired leader whether you are working “behind the scenes” or have a more visible public role. If you follow the inner path using truth and clarity as your compass points, the outer world cannot help but respond to your intention.

Love,
Deepak

The Secret of Love: Meditations for Attracting and Being in Love

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