Thursday, July 8, 2010

Hunger for Power

He was sitting in a small and dark locker room, among the "best of the best" of the regional ice hockey league. A renowned coach chose his team in a rather insensitive way. One after the other, he called the most promising players into the gym. As the room emptied in front of his eyes he saw his friends and colleagues disappear into the "gym of light and promise". He was left behind, the coach stopped calling people at one point and that meant he hadn't made it. More than that, he had been humiliated. He swore himself that a situation like this will never happen to him again.

It is amazing how our ego clings to some perceived key events and conveniently defines the purpose of our life. These events shape who we are and, when they happen, are burnt deep into our subconscious mind. The boy in question is now a rising star in one of the most lucrative industries and would probably admit that his insatiable hunger for power was a result of this event. Actually, all of us have these artificial desires, though they seem real to us. Some struggle with sex, some with money or fame, yet others with worries and insecurities. The ego waits for the opportunity to prove to you that you are on a little island and that everybody is out to get you.

Our spiritual journey is about recognizing this force, studying it and actually appreciating each moment life throws at you as a perfect opportunity to disentangle the personality blanket from your core. Bless your life story and your quirks. It turns out, the stranger your quirks are, the more likely you are to wake up and launch your journey towards freedom.

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