Inner and Outer Authority
Aug 7th 2008Ellen WilsonInspiration
Awhile ago I came across a blog, Who’s in Charge Here? It’s incredibly funny. All you have to do is pick the leader in a group of band members. And we all know there is one.
It reminded me of this photo of a group of policemen in Venice. Guess who’s in charge here? Go ahead. Guess.
Outer authority serves a purpose. Good leaders make good decisions on behalf of the group. They are trusted.
But sometimes we put more emphasis on the outside authority other than the inside. We feel certain groups and people have it all together and we hand our power over to them.
Turn the outside inside. Real power is your inner power. Do you trust it? Do you read the signs?
I’m a big fan of synchronicty. Synchronicity is kind of like a hiker’s helper. Hiker’s helpers are little piles of rocks that hikers look for when they get lost. They are put there by other hikers to help guide your way.
Synchronicity in Action
I started toying around with this inner and outer authority idea awhile ago. The way I usually put together posts is in my head. And sometimes I get hiker’s helpers along the way.
The other day I was over at Hunter Nuttal’s reading a post of his. In this post he was offering a free ebook by Steve Martile called the Genius Within You. I thought, sounds cool. Sixteen pages and it’s free. So I went over to Steve’s. He has a site called Freedom Education. What a great name for a site. Reminds me of that song by Cat Stevens, “Peace Train.”
I started reading the book. My mouth fell open. Exactly the same thoughts I was having expressed in a different way! And I great book, I might add. Read it!
So I thanked Steve and promptly told him I would just have to link to this. It was synchronicity. It was uncanny.
Back to Hunter’s. Perusing his posts I notice he has an article on synchronicity. Another hiker’s helper. I knew I was on the right path. Thanks Hunter!
Sure, you could call it chance, you can call it silly crap. But the point is it made sense to me. It was my inner authority recognizing the signs. So sometimes it is a good idea to keep these little things a secret. Why give your power away?
But I wanted to write a blog post.
The moral of the story? Focus on your inner authority and look for signs in the outer world to support your inner journey. You’ll always be on the right path.
Update: Steve was on a train when he had the epiphany to name his company Freedom Education. I found this out after I wrote the post and mentioned the name of his company reminded me of the Cat Steven’s song “Peace Train.” More synchronicity! Hint: You can find it in his video…
Photocredit: © Ellen Wilson
20 Comments »
Writer Dadon 07 Aug 2008 at 2:55 pm 1EVERYTHING for a reason, right? The world will often tell us where to go next as long as we’re receptive, and not trying to clear out our Tivo.
Writer Dad’s last blog post..Sink or Swim
Steveon 07 Aug 2008 at 3:33 pm 2Hi Ellen,
I really enjoyed this article, something about the way you express yourself in the written word. And thank-you for putting the book out there
Steve’s last blog post..Natural Ability
Ellen Wilsonon 07 Aug 2008 at 6:04 pm 3@ Writer Dad - Yes, that’s what I’m saying! What is a Tivo? Is it a car?
@Steve - I’m glad you liked it. But Steve, you missed the reference to “Peace Train” and the fact that you WERE on a train when you came up with the name, Freedom Education. More synchronicity!
It also occured to me that I need to mention what a great read your ebook is. Time to edit!
Karen Swimon 07 Aug 2008 at 6:32 pm 4E, I love synchronicity and I love this post. Synchronicity is like having a musical note in your head and along the way you meet other notes, at the end all of the notes form a harmony that makes a beautiful song. I think the guy without the band around his leg may be the leader but not sure. Great post that makes me think and awesome links. Thanks E!
Veredon 07 Aug 2008 at 8:07 pm 5Ellen, you KNOW that I love you, but I am too cynical to believe in these things.
A dear friend of mine quotes his grandpa as saying something like:
“Never mind the womenfolk, with their talk of God and Heaven and divine intervention. It is all random nonsense, we were all descended from monkeys, and that’s all there is to it.”
Now, I know you were not talking in the religious sense and my friends’ grandpa was, but I fell in love with this quote because of the “random nonsense” part.
Our daily life, the small events that make up our days - even our lives - I really do believe that it’s all random nonsense. “Everything for a reason”? I don’t think so.
You still like me, right?
Vered’s last blog post..Cooking? That’s What Wives Are For! (Wordless Wednesday)
Ellen Wilsonon 07 Aug 2008 at 9:21 pm 6@Karen - I can’t give it away, but I know who it is. I just checked the picture again, there are TWO guys with bands on their legs.
@Vered - That quote reminds me of my uncle who used to tease my grandma, who was very religious, about how we we’re all descended from monkeys. Man, that irked my grandma. But that was the point!
I don’t know if monkeys have religion. Maybe they do. We do! And we’re descended from monkeys. So maybe there was some kind of precursor there…
I won’t say BELIEVE, because believing and thinking about things are two different matters.
But personally, I don’t think that there is any random nonsense. We are all interconnected. Call me a biologist, call me an atheist, call me anything you want (I step away from categories), but I do think things happen for a reason. And it’s up to us individually to determine why.
I’ll have to give more examples in later posts. Not to say, “Hey, I’m right!” But just how it’s worked for me.
Of course I still like you.
Veredon 08 Aug 2008 at 12:19 am 7Glad you still like me. This is the kind of opinion that causes some people to really dislike me, so I was wondering what kind of effect it would have on you.
Looking forward to more posts. Just like you, I enjoy a good debate.
Vered’s last blog post..Cooking? That’s What Wives Are For! (Wordless Wednesday)
Hunter Nuttallon 08 Aug 2008 at 12:35 am 8Ellen, thanks for the link. I don’t know if you saw my recent post where I announced a contest I’m running, but if you want to enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on that post and say “Hunter, I linked to you from here: http://www.wilsonswordsandpictures.com/?p=97.” I do it that way so I can just look at the comments on my contest post and pick a winner at random.
Hunter Nuttall’s last blog post..The Introverts Strike Back
Brett Legreeon 08 Aug 2008 at 9:36 am 9Ellen,
This is a great post, very timely and you speak of synchronicity - when I looked at some of the links you have above, I am sure I felt the same thing you did.
I’ve been in this zone for a little while, too - perhaps that’s what I’ve been trying to get across in my own blog writing.
The e-book Steve wrote is a nice little wrapper for my thoughts and feelings (thanks Steve - and you got a new subscriber, too!)
Lots of things to think about here - and forge into change.
-Brett
(PS - I have some news, will catch up with you by email this weekend)
Brett Legree’s last blog post..viking fridays - the worst sickness.
Ellen Wilsonon 08 Aug 2008 at 12:04 pm 10@ Vered - Had an AHA! moment realizing you had a problem that mommy blogger fiasco awhile ago. Well, I’m pretty loyal as a friend so you don’t have to worry about that!
Like I’ve mentioned, I think it’s healthy for people to disagree. They can have a deeper understanding of eachother if they don’t cling to always being right. Sometimes that’s hard for me, though. I can be stubborn. But I guess I’m learning as time goes on!
@Hunter - I will have to enter your contest! I guess I meet the criteria. I probably will win because there is no such thing as randomness. Ha!
@Brett - I’m glad you liked Steve’s ebook. It really is a good read. I’m excited to hear of your news!
Melissa Donovanon 08 Aug 2008 at 4:21 pm 11Synchronicity rocks! Everyone jump on the peace train
Yep, these are definitely Hiker’s Helpers, little signs to show when we are on the right path. Feels good, doesn’t it? And Freedom Education is a fantastic name for a site.
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..A Story for a Song
Ellen Wilsonon 10 Aug 2008 at 5:08 pm 12Hi Melissa,
I wish everyone would jump on the peace train. I do my little part to help out, and the hiker’s helpers guide me. Yeah, it does feel good.
Ellen Wilsonon 10 Aug 2008 at 7:38 pm 13@Karen - Okay, I’ll give it up. The guy with the glasses is the leader. Without a doubt.
Karen Swimon 10 Aug 2008 at 8:55 pm 14That’s the guy I was talking about but I wonder why I didn’t just say “guy with glasses?” Hmmm, interesting. Maybe I no longer focus on glasses since I don’t have to wear them. Oh well, there’s no figuring out what goes on in my head…Thanks for the answer! Ha! I was right! Oh yeah, right on for the Peace Train!
Shamelleon 11 Aug 2008 at 1:22 am 15I like the way you began the post :-0)
“Focus on your inner authority and look for signs in the outer world to support your inner journey” Very true indeed.
Shamelle
Barbara Swaffordon 11 Aug 2008 at 3:12 am 16Hi Ellen,
I remember reading that post of Hunters. I do think there’s something to synchronicity. Call it coincidence, ESP, or whatever, too often things happen and it’s can’t be explained any other way. Ah, the power of the mind.
Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..Psssst! Your Blog Is Showing
Ellen Wilsonon 11 Aug 2008 at 1:22 pm 17@Karen - He’s the only guy without bands around his leg. I don’t know if he was the actual leader, or not. I just could tell he was in charge.
@Shamelle - Hi and welcome to my blog. I checked yours out too and it looks very good. I’ll add you to my feed.
@Barbara - I’m sure it happens to everyone. But some people just don’t notice it.
Jaden @ Screenwriting for Hollywoodon 11 Aug 2008 at 6:28 pm 18I love that Peace Train song, listen to it over and over. Makes me cry, the hope in that song.
Synchronicity has fascinated me all my life. I am obsessed with WHY it happens and why it sometimes doesn’t happen for months or years. When it doesn’t happen, I worry that I may be on the wrong path.
@ Vered… I’m really glad you had the courage to bring up gramps’ quote — I hear it all the time too from the old man. I respect and like to hear all opinions as I am always searching for the answers.
Following the clues of synchronicity is like a religion; I think it is fair to make a connection there: it gives hope when there is none, it makes hard times tolerable. Whether synchronicity is real or hokey-pokey brain tricks, doesn’t matter if it can bring some peace to a person’s mind.
I think the birds, bees, and trees live in synchronicity and yet they don’t debate it in their minds like we do; signs bring them to sex, food, or death. They follow the wind. They know when an earthquake is coming.
We on the other hand are tortured by choice and reason.
Jaden @ Screenwriting for Hollywood’s last blog post..Sunday Picture Post 23 / Extraordinary
Urban Pantheron 11 Aug 2008 at 7:06 pm 19Absolutely not chance. I have had way too many incidents of synchronicity to call them chance. And while I always amazed by them, I have never thought of them as hikers helpers. That is absolutely brilliant. Sometimes, it’s small things that are just fun. Like one day I was driving along, and totally randomly thought, gee, I wonder what ever happened to the Bay city Rollers? (Don’t ask where that came from!) No word of a lie, 10 minutes latter the dj starts talking about what happened to each member of the Bay City Rollers! Okay, that’s just fun stuff. However, you are absolutely correct. Once I resolve to do something, POOF, those hikers helpers show up left right and centre. Thank you! I now have an even greater appreciation of synchronicity.
Urban Panther’s last blog post..A night at Navarra
good business web site hostingon 18 Sep 2008 at 11:28 am 20Great post ! I want to know when you update your blog, where can i subscribe to your blog?
