We live in a culture obsessed with action, achievement, and the loud evidence of our efforts — but what if our greatest power lies in the quiet, invisible work we often ignore?
Our society tends to value direct action above all else. We are taught that external effort is what makes a difference, while thoughts and feelings are seen as less consequential. This common mindset often renders our intangible yet vital inner world useless.
But as the author Anna Quindlen once wisely wrote:
“People don’t talk about the soul very much anymore. It’s so much easier to write a résumé than to craft a spirit. But a résumé is cold comfort on a winter night, or when you’re sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you’ve gotten back the chest X-ray and it doesn’t look so good... You cannot be really first-rate at your work if your work is all you are.”
It’s taken us far too long to realise that the unseen might have some power after all. Both your doings and your being are equally necessary. You could achieve every external goal and yet still feel utterly empty — an experience that set me off on this journey 25 years ago.
Your inner world isn't just the foundation for your words and deeds — it is the very foundation of your entire life.
Choosing Love Over Fear
The timeless story of the two wolves battling in the human heart captures this essential truth: the one that wins is the one that you feed. That struggle is between the only two true emotions: Love and Fear.
Which one will you choose?
Choosing love in the face of your own fear means you can sleep well and navigate anything life throws at you. But crucially, it also sends a powerful, intangible message that goes far beyond your personal experience — you’re making that choice for your loved ones and your wider community too.
That’s not so far-fetched.
You know the feeling: you walk into a place where there's been an argument, and you instantly feel the tension, the ‘bad vibes.’ Conversely, you know the feeling of walking into a home full of harmony —your shoulders drop, you smile, you look up and around.
The ‘vibe’ of a place speaks to you. And the vibe of you speaks to everyone around you too.
Be the Difference
I don’t want to give you another thing to do, or another reason to judge yourself harshly for not doing or being enough — for these are the very judgements of humanity you’re helping transcend. Instead, I want to invite you to realise the value of this inner work:
Knowing that thoughts are options, not truths
Choosing to appreciate and be grateful over condemning
Being mindful and present
Returning your centre as your power source
Feeding love over fear
These, when chosen over and over, become you; they become the language of your presence. This then becomes an invitation for others to choose more skilfully. You become not only a rock people can rely on but a light that shows the way — to a deeper expression of themselves.
I truly don’t think I’m being over-blown here: your inner choice makes a world of external difference. If more people realised how powerful their individual inner choices are — all the way down to changing the way we talk to ourselves — this world would be a dramatically different place.
Next time you think you’re too busy for your Ascension practice or any kind of mindful inner work, or worry that ‘focusing on yourself’ is selfish, or that you can’t make a difference in this world, stop and consider this ripple effect.
Your choice for the Good in you is the one powerful thing that remains solely and completely under your influence. When you choose well internally, you change the atmosphere for everyone you meet, becoming the light the world truly needs.
Choose well.
Arjuna
P.S. Build Your Foundation
My Ascension meditation practice has been the key to becoming the kind of person I always knew I could be. It truly brings life alive and is the antidote to the stress, confusion, and hollowness we can so easily fall into.
It's the opposite of hard work; it’s a pleasure to sit and do.
If the idea of strengthening your own foundation resonates with you, consider joining me for two options before the year ends:
Learn the Practice: Join me for the final Ascension course of 2025: 21–23 November (starting 7 pm Friday). It's always free to repeat for those who've learned already! Please get in touch for details.
Dedicated Guidance: I also have a few slots available for one-on-one mentoring/coaching. Whether you feel a single powerful session will shift your perspective or you want a longer-term relationship to embed this foundational work, a little personal guidance goes an incredibly long way.
If you'd like to chat about what you’re looking for and how this one-to-one work could help you, please just get in touch.
Talk soon!