Our Inner Voice

By Fr.Gus Carter

12/ 17/ 06

St. John the Baptist reminds us that the coming of Christ into our lives demands preparation. Most commentator or philosophers of human life claim there is a source within each human that gives guidance and renewal for our lives. This center has been called the soul, the self, the heart of a person. If we follow this inner guide, we are more likely to be prepared for conflict and to be better able to recognize opportunities for our betterment. Paying attention to our inner heart makes us both faithful to ourselves as well as helpful to others. One's sense of vitality and meaning becomes increasingly dependent on attention to the inner voice of one's soul.

We all know that the first step to recognizing the voice of the soul involves slowing down and paying attention to how we feel about our lives. Unfortunately, we do not find taking meaningful pauses in our activity highly valued in the fast-paced American culture. Considering his life in his "Confessions," St. Augustine wrote, "I must plan my time and arrange my day for the good of my soul." If we wish to hear the voice of our own soul, we must plan some time to listen to ourselves. This is done in many ways: some times at an occupation that does not require much thought; walking in a quiet place; closing the door of a room in one's house and inviting thoughts and feelings to arise. Some people find writing as one listens to oneself a helpful way to be in touch with ourselves.

Some people learn to listen to themselves as part of their daily routine. This has been labeled as "working at a contemplative pace." Researchers have discovered that people who work at a contemplative pace actually get more done. Another name for paying attention to ourselves as we do some task is called "being a participant observer." Such individuals become witnesses to their own experience as it happens.

Some time during a time-out period, a person can ask. "What am I finding myself thinking about and feeling today?" We pay attention to whatever comes to mind: preoccupations, fears, hopes, unusual reactions. At this time try to stop solving problems and listen to whatever comes to mind. We listen to ourselves without expectations or criticism of whatever thought or feeling arises. Our first task is to learn how to listen to ourselves and benefit from our experience because we cannot change what we do not understand. One author wrote, "In my experience more satisfying solutions to problems and new directions for living become apparent when we learn how to be honest witnesses to our own life, and develop a sense of trust in the healthy resources for guidance that lie deep within ourselves. (Soul and Self, Paul Fehrenbach)

We aim to be not only healthy participants in our lives, but also to be compassionate observers. We strive to improve the quality of our internal witness. Self-observation is essentially a skill. Anyone can learn it and anyone can learn how to do it better.

The fast pace of life and the insistent demands of much modem living plague many people. It has been described to me as "like always putting out fires." We have all heard about "treadmill living," putting one foot after the other with little sense of meaning or purpose. If we want Christ to come into our lives for the good of our souls, we have to have showdown periods. We must pray for the courage and perseverance to take time for ourselves. I read long ago someone writing, "time for myself becomes time for others." As we let contemplative periods come into our lives, we become more aware of others. We feel that we are not wasting our time helping others.