There was so much good dialogue generated on the last will power post that I wanted to share some of it with you.
One of our frequent visitors, Ms. Melissa shared that the tricky part about will power is using it in a way that is aligned with your higher self. I whole-heartedly agree. When will power is used to try and puff up the ego (ie. restricting oneself only to look perfect or working hard simply for power or money) it can actually undermine authentic growth and spiritual evolution. My experience is that if your will is not aligned with your higher self it is not sustainable and will eventually backfire.
Ms. Gabi – another wise one – shared that as a body worker, she has observed that a nice balance between core strength and core flexibility correlates with being both powerful and graceful in life (I’m paraphrasing). She suspects that over-developed core strength correlates with being too “guarded” with one’s emotions and an underdeveloped core correlates with being too “open.” Good stuff – I have a hunch that the same is true for will power. Too much will in the wrong areas suffocates life, while too little disperses it prematurely, leaving one powerless…
Finally, we had a new visitor named Vincent who left an insightful comment about the three levels of will. First, there’s having the will to say “no” to what’s bad for you – junk food, over-spending, etc. The second level is saying “yes” to what is good for you – exercising, saving, eating healthy. The third level is using your will to control your thoughts and emotions. When negativity takes over, he recommends stilling your body and thinking of nothing until the emotion dissipates. He goes on to say:
“When you’ve mastered all three levels of self control, a feeling so wonderful and strong persists inside. The feeling provides an incomparable joy, much greater than that Twinkie or new pair of shoes could ever temporarily disguise as. The feeling is not at all fleeting, but strong, whole and permanent. And fuels you with an unparalleled power.”
Thanks guys – I’m truly inspired.