Written by: Patrick Batson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Ernest Hemingway said, “We are all broken—that’s how the light gets in.” I used to have a strong aversion to that notion. “Not me,” I thought. “I may not be perfect, but I’m certainly not broken.” I arrogantly believed that anyone who thinks they are broken simply lacks the determination to face life’s challenges and come out on top.
Of course, I’ve had my share of painful circumstances that left me feeling disillusioned but never defeated. I wore my strength of will like a badge of honor, and I was determined to model it for others, as though I might inspire them to find their own untapped reservoir of willpower and determination. But I now know that Hemingway was right. We are all broken. And that’s a very good thing if we’re willing to embrace it.
Even successful habits can be limiting
What changed? Did I get my ass whooped? Did my world come crashing down in a tragedy so great that even Mr. Discipline couldn’t muster the strength to weather it? Thankfully, no. The shift happened during one of the more pleasant times of my life. I knew intuitively that it was time to expand how I share my gifts with the world, so I made space in my life for a new direction. I increased the time I spent in meditation every day. I met new people, read new books, listened to new podcasts, and explored many new ideas. I delved deeply into the workings of the subconscious mind and challenged myself to overcome patterns of thought and behavior I had grown comfortable with. Every day brought exciting new insights. However, I increasingly found myself feeling unsure of what to do with them. I felt free to go in any direction I wanted but was less certain about which direction to choose. At that time, I was approaching my work in the same way I had done throughout my 20+ years as a high-tech consultant and executive. I put in at least eight hours at my desk each day— writing, researching, modeling, and reaching out to others who might be helpful. I demonstrated my strong belief that “I” am the one who makes things happen in my life. But that didn’t seem to be working like it used to. I felt adrift, and my disillusionment started to feel like defeat. Then one day a thought occurred to me: “What if I am broken? And what if it manifests as the belief that I know what’s best for me?” I considered for the first time that what had brought me success in the past might now be a liability. What if moving forward required allowing myself to be uncertain and vulnerable?
The power of not knowing
As I type those words, I still feel a twinge of resistance. My programming wants me to believe that vulnerability is for other people. But I have learned that what we resist usually points to what we need to heal, and healing only happens in the absence of resistance. So, I tried something new: Surrendering to my higher self. It’s the part of me, and all of us, that sees beyond the limitations of our physical world. Our higher self knows how magnificent we truly are, and it nudges us to let go of whatever we think is so important. So, I said with as much sincerity as I could muster, “I don’t have a plan, I don’t know what’s best, and I’m not even sure I’m up for this journey. You show me.” I had already cultivated a conscious relationship with my higher self and enjoyed its many gifts, such as the ability to channel higher wisdom. Even so, I still treated it like a resource to be called upon now and again rather than embracing the possibility of 24/7 guidance. But once I let go of the belief that I know what is best for myself and how to accomplish it, I started feeling the connection much more strongly. Rather than starting every day with a list of things to accomplish, I became comfortable with asking, “What is needed of me today?” This act of surrender and trust soon brought noticeable results. I became aware that what I used to think of as productivity was often just wasted effort. By approaching every day with openness and curiosity, I experienced greater joy, positive expectation, and confidence in my work. And before long, unexpected opportunities began to manifest.
We resist that which we are powerless to
We are all powerless to something in our lives. It may be something the world judges to be bad, like a substance addiction, an abusive nature, or a victim mentality. Or it may be to something the world values, like conspicuous consumption, asserting our opinions, “heroically” working ourselves to exhaustion, or acting like we have life figured out. Our weakness may be very obvious to those around us, or it may be visible only to ourselves. It may show up often or infrequently. But it is there. The thing we are powerless to is also the thing we tend to resist help for. We fool ourselves into thinking we have it handled. Ironically, while we think we are being strong, we are pinching ourselves off from our greatest source of strength. Our higher self knows that all things truly are possible, and it can guide us to the highest outcome in any endeavor. It whispers to us in dreams and flashes of intuition, and it magnetizes to us the information, people, and resources we need to manifest our desires. When we are caught up in the belief that we have it all figured out, we miss its subtle promptings.
Surrender to achieve an ideal outcome
Hearing the voice of the higher self requires admitting we don’t know what’s best. It may also require admitting we doubt ourselves, and perhaps that we’re a bit scared. But when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and uncertain, we open ourselves to receiving its higher guidance. It may seem counterintuitive, but there is tremendous power in saying, “I don’t know. Please show me.”
It’s like driving with the help of GPS. Not long ago, we had to read maps and ask for directions when driving to an unfamiliar place. Even so, the risk of making a wrong turn, encountering an unexpected delay, or getting lost was higher. Today, we simply trust our GPS to calculate the optimal route, provide us with step-by-step directions, and reroute us when the unexpected occurs. With such accurate guidance at hand, it would be foolish to say, “No thanks, I’d rather know the entire route before I start.”
Admittedly, letting go of my need for certainty of direction has been challenging, and I still battle it at times. So strong is my need to have everything figured out. But I know for certain that I don’t know what my higher self knows. Why, then, would I be so arrogant as to say, “No thanks, I got this.”?
Hemingway was indeed right—we are all broken. As long as we’re in a human body, we remain separated in consciousness from that bigger part of us that knows our life path, our gifts, our hopes and aspirations, and the optimal way to move forward. And when we surrender to it, the light truly does start to pour in.
Patrick Batson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Patrick assists people on their journey of awakening to higher consciousness. Drawing upon decades of study and practice of Spiritual wisdom, as well as executive-level management and modern family life, Patrick serves as a guide for bridging the physical and Spiritual worlds. He has authored two books and publishes a monthly blog of channeled content on topics common to the human experience, as observed from the perspective of the Higher Self. Through his healing practice, Patrick helps clients connect with their Higher Mind. By bringing unconscious, limiting beliefs into alignment with the Higher Mind's vision of wholeness and abundance, clients are able to amplify and accelerate positive life changes.
