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Note: This is an edited version of the podcast.
I've been silent for a little bit now. I think my last Motley Mystic podcast and Substack post was sometime last month after experiencing an avalanche of article and podcast ideas. Then suddenly, nothing. I just didn't have anything to say, and, on top of that, no motivation to say anything. So, I just didn't.
I think there's some wisdom to that, because sometimes we push ourselves. We say, "Hey, I got to get a podcast out," or "Hey, I'm a content creator, I got to do something," or "Hey, I'm a teacher, my people are expecting to hear something amazing for me." But I think if we try to say things, or try to teach something, from a space of, "I got to do it, people are expecting something from me," then whatever it is we put out into the world under those conditions, it's not really coming from the place of wisdom. Instead, it's coming from that place of ego that says, "I got to do something because people are depending on me to say something to do something."
In reality, if people are depending upon you at all, they are depending upon you to deliver your best, to tell them the things that come from your heart – the revelations that you've had, in your own meditation practice, in your own silence, and your own times of thinking deeply and contemplating life. I haven't had anything, recently, to share from that level, so I have stayed silent.
I think it's good, sometimes, to allow ourselves to lie fallow, to till things under and regenerate our own soil. That way, we become more fertile in the future. Any farmer will tell you, if you deplete the soil, you're not going to grow anything new. There is wisdom in rest. There is wisdom in silence. There is wisdom in taking a break.
We push ourselves so hard in this society, because we're expected to do things, to produce things, to get things out in the world, all under the guise of helping people. How helpful are you really being if you're not putting your best out into the world? How effective will you be if you're putting out content or teachings or products, or coaching that's coming from that depleted place? If you're giving out of your emptiness or your desperation, then you're just following the ego's desire to keep being seen, while no longer contributing the healing of the world.
When is the last time you rested? Have you taken time to lie fallow for a little while, to till under your own soil? Are you just repeating the things you've been saying or teaching in the past just because they're what you think people want to hear? Are you continuing to teach practices that perhaps don't even work for you anymore, let alone for those who may be learning from you?
I was listening to one of my own teachers the other day and he answered a question from another member of the group who talked about reading an old Wayne Dyer book where Dyer was explaining the practice of replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. This person wanted to know if this advice was still valid since it seems at odds with some of the more advanced metaphysical practices we're learning today.
My teacher's answer to this question connects well with this idea of rest and taking time to listen to the wisdom of silence in this moment. He said that we have to remember, that Dyer's advice was the highest revelation of consciousness at that time. Just as The Secret was its highest revelation at that time. In this moment, we know that just replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts is more of a panacea. We know now that abuse of the principles in The Secret becomes a way to see the universe as your delivery boy or your butler. You say, "This is what I want," and the universe goes and gets it for you.
Though our intentions for manifesting may seem selfish, I think, perhaps the Universe does give us exactly what we want sometimes so we can learn that it really isn't our highest, even though in our own limited imagination, we thought that was best for us. Perhaps manifestation is just another way to teach us that we don't know what's best for us.
A Course in Miracles teaches that we have no idea what's in our best interest, even though we talk all the time about things outside of ourselves that we're sure would make us happy, whether it's money, or power, fame, or a bestseller. The truth is we don't know. The only way to become open for what's best for us to come to us is to rest, to lie fallow and be fully present in that cosmic, "I don't know."
If I think about the things I wanted in my life, or how I wanted my life to turn out, I probably would be pretty miserable. Because I don't know what's best for me. The things that have manifested for me, though, and maybe manifested despite me, are incredible. As a reporter, I got to meet amazing people – some of them were even famous. I got to report on extraordinary stories and have experiences I never would have imagined. As a spiritual director and a minister, I have had the privilege to hear people's stories and be with them in both their joys and their sorrows. I didn't dream any of this for myself. I had completely different plans.
Here's the key – without taking time to lie fallow and listen to the silence of this present moment and the wisdom it wants to share with us, we will never raise our consciousness – either individually or collectively. The fact that Wayne Dyer seems dated and quaint in many ways today with the advice to simply replace your negative thoughts with positive thoughts is that we have raised our consciousness from that time. In the 1980s and 1990s when Wayne Dyer was writing, the New Thought movement was in its infancy, and Dyer's ideas were revolutionary at the time.
Dyer is not irrelevant today. None of the teachers from that time are irrelevant. They are our ancestors, our pioneers. They are the ones who laid the foundation for us so we can continue to ascend into a higher and higher consciousness. We thank those who have come before us and have shown us the way, but we cannot rest on our laurels. Instead, we are called to go deeper into that inner space than anyone has ever gone before, and bring back the ideas, the thoughts, processes and methods that will bring us all into an even higher consciousness. To do that, we need to take the time to rest, to reflect, to be in the silence and really listen to what now is saying to us, not what 1995 was saying to us.
I love my teachers. I love how they inspire me with their new ideas and techniques. According to the Course, though, we are all teachers of God, and we are all teaching in every moment. What we teach depends on which voice we're heeding. Are we listening to the voice of ego that says, "Hey, you got to get your stuff out there. I don't care if you're not inspired, sit your butt down, write something, turn the microphone on, say something, anything"? Or, are we listening to the voice that says, "Speak from your heart. Take time for silence. Listen deeply and bring forth the messages that people need to hear, that draw them into a higher consciousness and speak to a new way of thinking, being, living and bringing healing to the world"? Because that, my friends, is within you.
If you're not taking the time to sit and listen to the Holy Spirit and instead are just pushing out whatever the ego says people might like, then you're never going to be part of the new, higher consciousness that is coming through. If Dyer were still with us in body, he'd continue be on the leading edge of consciousness raising. Perhaps, then, we should channel our inner Wayne Dyer, because everything he said or wrote came from taking time to listen to the wisdom of spirit that speaks when our heart and mind are at rest and open to revelation.
Here's the bottom line: When you don't have anything to say, don't say anything. Instead, sit in the silence and let it teach you something new. Then share that something new with all of us, because we've heard all the other stuff. We're waiting for you to share your revelation, your insights, what the Holy is telling you, because that's valuable. That's what we need you to teach us. We all have something new to learn and something valuable to add to this world, because we are all both students and teachers.
I invite you to follow the path of wisdom and shut up. Be quiet for a while and listen deeply, and as long as possible, to that still, small voice and then share with all of us the wisdom that you hear. Because that, my friends, is how we heal the world.
Are you looking for spiritual guidance?
I am a trained a certified spiritual director who can help you deepen your connection to the Holy and guide you as you seek spiritual growth and transformation.
If you’ve been feeling out of touch with the Holy or simply want to explore new practices to strengthen your spirituality, I can help you. I use a motley collection of techniques based in traditions such as Buddhism, Christianity, metaphysics and, of course, A Course in Miracles.
Contact me at candace@motleymystic.com for more details.
Take 20 with Candace
If you don’t have time to watch the full replay of Jubilee! Circle’s weekly celebrations, you can cut to the chase and spend 20 minutes (give or take) with me and enjoy my weekly message. This past week we explored how to be fully present in the dark times of your life.
The Motley Mystic now has a podcast!
Tune in for the new Motley Mystic Meditation Moments Podcast
Sometimes our best ideas and deepest, most profound thoughts come after we've meditated or when we're out walking the dog and enjoying nature. I'll be sharing my extemporaneous thoughts and ideas on spirituality and transformational growth. I may be out of breath on the walk, but spirit is always breathing through us all.
There are already several episodes posted, including the latest one, Why the Universe wants you to STFU that explores why being silent is sometimes the best spiritual practice of all.
About the Motley Mystic:
The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth, because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true, Divine Self.
Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass. She is also a musician and avid beer drinker.
Why the Universe wants you to STFU