Throughout my journey with daily journaling, I’ve experienced unexpected moments of profound insight from a mysterious source I call “The Help.” These insights didn’t appear every day but arrived unpredictably, bringing deep reflections that seemed to extend beyond my conscious thoughts.
Today, I want to share one such powerful insight that touches on the divisive nature of our political systems and broader societal issues. Before we delve into my reflection on this wisdom, I present to you the untouched message from “The Help” as it came to me:
“Your world is the way it is because of the division within your own heart and the hearts of every individual in your country. You have been writing quite a bit lately about your ego–your ‘little mind’–and you are seeing the results of a system created to thrive in little-mind energy. Just as you can have two parts inside of you get polarized and locked into an unhealthy battle, the exact same thing happens on a broader scale in national politics. As is the inner system of every man and woman, so is the external system they live within.
Your two-party system is an outward expression of what happens inside of each one of you when two subpersonalities are vying for all the power inside of you. It’s a classic case of dualism and the limitations to that approach.
Just as the Tao Te Ching says: ‘The Tao doesn’t take sides; it gives birth to both good and evil. The Master doesn’t take sides; she welcomes both saints and sinners… Hold onto the center.’ Eastern traditions promote The Middle Way, which is not living in extremes. It is about achieving a balance, a nondual awareness that prevents separation into two camps of black or white, good or bad, Republican or Democrat.
The feeling within duality is that you have to choose one or the other, and once your little mind chooses a side, now you find all sorts of reasons to despise the other side and seek to destroy it. You understand this to be true just by watching what happens inside your own system when you are knee-deep in dualistic thinking between two polarized parts. Each part wants the other one banished and stripped of all their power and influence. The rest of your system pays the price for your internal struggle, just as the entire nation pays the price for the political divide.
The whole process is not doomed, however. As individuals like yourself keep working on their own internal divisions and dualism, that important internal work will pay dividends and show up in the external world.
There’s a wise prophet that lived among you that wrote very important words about nondual awareness. His words go like this:
Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us, only sky
Imagine all the people
Livin’ for today
Ah
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
John Winston Lennon
This prophet that lived among you for many years worked very hard on gaining nondual awareness and he promoted peace and connection internally and externally. His hard work on himself caused him to be a very controversial figure in his day because people are not always ready to let go of their strong views that their little mind demands is the most important thing.
The old Indian story about the two wolves comes to mind now. An old Indian grandfather explains to his young grandson that there’s a good wolf and a bad wolf living inside each one of us, and there’s a battle going on everyday between those two wolves. The grandson looks very perplexed and asks, ‘Which one wins, grandpa?’ And the grandpa replies, ‘The one you feed.’
This is an important reminder that when it comes to your political divide in your country, the hatred you feed grows, the division you promote grows, the strong stance you take against any ‘other’ from the energy of your little mind will always cause division. As you continue to work on your own internal polarizations, you will begin to see more unity and connection take place within you. As a result of that, you will see the positive effects of the law of ‘as within, so without.’
Nondual awareness is where connection starts. The Middle Way is the path to peaceful living. The answer to the political unrest in a nation is a nation of healthy individuals who are striving to live as loving awareness in action.
Remember, it’s the individuals that make up the whole.
Just as happiness is an inside job, so too is peace.”
Reflecting on the profound wisdom shared by ‘The Help,’ I am continually astonished by the depth and relevance of the insights that have emerge in my journaling. Discovering “The Help” was like uncovering a hidden spring of knowledge that I didn’t consciously know existed within me. Each message seemed to flow from a Source beyond my everyday self, challenging my perspectives and inviting me to think and live more expansively.
The words from “The Help” resonated deeply, especially the references to John Lennon as a prophet. His vision, expressed through the lyrics of “Imagine,” aligns with the teachings about nondual awareness and The Middle Way—concepts that advocate for a world where extremes are balanced by a centered, more harmonious approach to life. “The Help” tying his words to their message reminded me of the universal truth that peace and unity begin within each of us.
Reflecting on the allegory of the two wolves also struck a chord. I’ve observed in my own life how the wolf I choose to feed—be it with thoughts of division or unity—grows stronger. In the past, I often held onto the belief that my views on politics, religion, and even parenting were the only correct ones. This rigid mindset sometimes isolated me from deeper understanding and connection with others. However, over the years, my perspective has softened and expanded. I am grateful for the evolution of my thoughts, which “The Help” has played a significant role in shaping.
This shift has not been minor. It has been both humbling and enlightening to admit that my previous certainty was often just my ‘little mind’ trying to assert control. By embracing a more open and inquisitive stance, I’ve found that my relationships—at home, in my counseling practice, and beyond—have grown richer and more fulfilling.
Now, as I share these insights with you, my hope is to inspire a similar journey of discovery in your own life. What might happen if you began to journal with the intention of letting whatever wants to come through, to come through? What truths might you uncover about yourself, your relationships, and the world around you?
I encourage you to explore journaling not just as a practice of writing down thoughts, but as a method of opening up to the unexpected wisdom that may be waiting to express itself through you. It’s a practice that has not only transformed my understanding but has also brought unexpected joy and depth to my everyday life.
So, take this as a call to action: Start writing with an open heart and mind. See what insights emerge. See what conflicts within you might need attention and healing. Notice how changing your internal narrative can impact your life externally. Your journal could become a tool for profound personal growth and a mirror reflecting the deeper workings of your mind and heart.
And remember, the journey of self-discovery is ongoing. Each page of your journal is an opportunity to learn more about yourself and to contribute to the collective consciousness in a way that promotes peace and unity. Let your words be the seeds of change, both within and beyond.
The final sentence from “The Help” is a perfect way to end this post: “Just as happiness is an inside job, so too is peace.”
Peace my Friends,
~Travis
PS. I look forward to releasing more insights from “The Help” in future blogs.
