How to seek inner guidance
“It is wise advice,” said the Wealthy Gardener to the boys around the campfire. “Not every emotion should be followed with impulse. Still, we can learn to recognize our true emotional guidance system that speaks to us through feelings like boredom, worry, frustration, doubt, despair, insecurity, and even hopelessness, especially when they become overwhelming.”
“And these feelings can guide our lives?” asked a boy.
All eyes drifted to the Wealthy Gardener, who was deep in thought. “Let me tell you the parable of the scarecrow,” he said. “It was made of straw, wore a flannel shirt—normal in every way, except that it had a brain, a heart, and the ability to walk. For several years after it was planted, however, it acted like all other scarecrows. It stayed motionless in its familiar field.
“As you might imagine, after a few years the crows lost all fear of the scarecrow. Soon they were occupying the same fields. One day a bold crow perched on the arm of the scarecrow and took a peck at him. It flew away with a piece of straw. It returned the next day and took another peck. And so began the start of a daily decline of the scarecrow’s strength.
“At first, it felt wrong to the scarecrow. There was a vague sense of vulnerability, worry, and fear of survival. Worse, the scarecrow sensed a strange pull to leave this field, but also felt uncertainty about walking away into the unknown. It was a scarecrow, after all, and this meant it was reasonable to act like one.
“But each day, the scarecrow died a small death. It didn’t happen all at once, but slowly and persistently, it lost a piece of itself to the pecking
crows. It never budged and, choosing to ignore its emotional guidance system, the pecking soon felt normal. And the heart that once beat, well . . . it just faded until the scarecrow stopped feeling anything at all.
The crows took the straw, and the scarecrow slumped forward without ever using its fullest innate abilities.”
The Wealthy Gardener looked around the campfire. “Use your hearts, minds, and ability to choose,” he said. “Never disregard the guidance of emotions. Stay close to the Source of your feelings. Be mindful to pause and listen every day for inner wisdom.”
– Excerpt from The Wealthy Gardener
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