Trust the inner voice

Trust the inner voice by HENRY J.M. NOUWEN

Do you really want to be converted? Are you willing to be transformed? Or do you keep clutching your old ways of life with one hand while with the other you beg people to help you change?

Conversion is certainly not something you can bring about yourself. It is not a question of will-power. You have to trust the inner voice that shows the way. You know that inner voice. You turn to it often. But after you have heard with clarity what you are asked to do, you start raising questions, fabricating objections, and seeking everyone else's opinion. Thus you become entangled in countless often contradictory thoughts, feelings, and ideas and lose touch with the God in you. And you end up dependent on all the people you have gathered around you.

0nly by attending constantly to the inner voice can you be converted to a new life of freedom and joy.

今天公司一位主管級的同事來找我，針對他現在部門同事間的合作衝突想詢問我一些意見，我們談了幾乎一整個上午，很值得自誇的是我做到從頭到尾做到不給他針對性的答案。因為我打從剛開始的設定就是希望透過這樣的談話，可以讓他體會開始與他內心真正的自己對話的感覺。最後離開我辦公室時，他閃爍地眼神告訴我，他似乎察覺了某些心得。

我們喜歡跟同事開會，並且針對事情很快地給意見，尤其是稍具工作經驗的主管更是如此，但我們是否會找個時間與真實的自己喝杯茶、開開會、給點意見? 或許從求學時期開始，師長們總是灌輸給概念是等我們做錯事情時才需要這樣做，這叫反省；那沒做錯事時呢? 那更應該把自己好好地叫出來聊聊天吧! 要不然，可能長久下來，感性的右腦可能不認識理性的左腦!