As we come together in this communication, I am drawn to share with you a very significant wisdom teaching that opened up a whole new world to me.
It was the beginning of a new phase of my life. I had two small children in my care and was separated from my husband. A dear friend had recommended a week-retreat that had various speakers offering different perspectives on meeting life’s challenges. It was very timely for me.
On the second day of the retreat, I met a man who introduced me to a process that became the bedrock from which I lived my life from that day on.
This is what happened …
As we sat on the grounds of the retreat center, I found myself opening up to him quite easily. I had already attended a number of talks and workshops in the retreat offering new perspectives that could be helpful in this new phase of my life. Up until that time, I had been married for nine years and was not the support for the family. I needed to find out what was my next step in life and I felt very uncertain and even fearful. He then proceeded to ask me this question …
“If you were to know all there was to know about everything … but you didn’t know “who knows?” then what would you know?”
“Who knows?” … This question caught me by surprise ... “Who knows?”
Who knows? It kept going over and over in my mind. And, then it stopped … there was complete stillness … no thought … only peace and quiet. I was experiencing a depth of certainty … a sense that everything was going to be alright no matter what comes or goes in my life.
As it turned out, this man became my spiritual teacher for many years to come and I discovered a way to remain connected to this “Who Knows?” through a meditation process called “Self-Inquiry.”
It’s all in the question.
We usually think we need to know ahead of time and have the knowledge to then make decisions in our life. But, actually, it’s all in our ability to be humble and admit, “I don’t know” and be willing to ask a question. In this open heart, this open mind, true knowing can occur from a depth of knowing as we access our Heart’s Wisdom.
This may be new to you as it was to me some years ago. Or, maybe you have discovered and admitted to yourself that you don’t know, but haven’t realized “Who knows?” within yourself as your own direct realization.
I am reminded of a client I had years ago in my consulting business. He was a very wealthy and successful man in real estate. In one of our sessions he finally admitted that he has a deep fear of losing his success. When I asked him why, he admitted openly that he didn’t know how his success really came about and because he didn’t know this, he was afraid that he would lose it all some day and not know how to recover. When I shared with him this practice, he came to realize “Who knows?” It released his fears as he uncovered the true source of his ideas and creativity within.
If this interests you, I have included here a guided meditation I produced of this “Inquiry Process” so you can experience it for yourself.
(To listen -- click on the arrow on the right and download onto your computer)
Let me know if you have any questions or comments.
Blessings dear One,
Elizabeth