You were brought up to believe that you must look outside yourselves to determine your best interest, your purpose, your work, even who you are. Parents, friends, media, scientists, and philosophers - all have opinions they wish to share with you and have you adopt them. If you are not sure of yourself, you can be bounced along in the chaotic environment of what others believe you should be, should have or should be doing. Along with this understanding you may want to know from your intuitive self what is natural for you.
Normal vs. Natural
Central to our model is the following idea: the only truth that you can be sure of is the one that you intuitively know for yourself. This we will call natural. Getting information from outer sources is normal.
Normal is a combination of the cultural, community, and parental ideas superimposed upon our thinking. Often these thoughts are so ingrained that we accept them as our truth even though they are not natural. These overlays, however, are the values and beliefs of others that have an impact and influence on our lives.
Along with these overlays are the genetic things about you such your gender, race, age, etc., that you cannot escape. Each of us participates in a collective pool of beliefs. To a greater or lesser extent, it defines who you are and how you see the world. For example, to be in the 21st Century is a part of the collective that will not allow you to think, act and feel like a Martian in the 30th Century or a Roman Patriot in the 1st Century. This collective thought stream is the evolutionary force or trend.
When you are unconscious, that is, not making conscious choices, you are not choosing freely. Therefore, the evolutionary forces, the will of the masses, are of the most impact. Normal and mass consciousness does not allow for large variations of the curve of life. It does not permit spikes, such as passion, zeal, and aliveness. It is designed for the largest quantitative appeal precisely because it is necessary for the mass. Yet, mass consciousness suffocates what is natural.
As children we accept these beliefs as being the truth. We are especially vulnerable from the age of three to seven. During this time accepting the beliefs of our parents or early caretakers is necessary to be loved, to be accepted by our family, friends and others and because we do not know any different. As a result, we tell yourselves who or what we need to be to fit in or to survive. This becomes normal for us.
Being Natural
In contrast to what is normal, natural is what you know from within - what you intuitively know. Being natural is to be who we truly are. It is innate within us. As a result, natural is who and what we truly are.
Because you have listened for so long to the outside world and accepted, as you were supposed to, what was normal, you have ignored what your intuition has been saying. The more you listen to the external world without listening inside, the less you trust this inner power and knowing when you hear it. People who trust their inner knowing are fulfilled people. Natural is trusting you have within you a grand design of what is - and that you an know it.
Larry De Rusha is Chairman of CSBN, a TV network for the self-directed spiritual seeker. He is also a minister and author. Finding your purpose in life is one of the themes of his program, The Roar From Within, released in December 2005. More details about the program can be found at http://www.roarfromwithin.com.