What if Your Life Were Like a Machine, Who Would be Running it?

In a recent session, Jason was exploring how his different wounded selves felt about the issue of money. As he tuned in, he said "It is as if there are gears that are all clashing and grinding together, going nowhere. No wonder I feel stuck." I think we got the metaphor simultaneously. What if, right this moment, your life were like a great machine? Would it be running smoothly and efficiently or would it be jerky and noisy, consuming a lot of fuel for little output? What would it take to make the machine work correctly? Who would be running it? Let's follow the metaphor.

First, it would take someone in charge who really wants to learn how to fix it so that it will run right and is willing to continue to operate it correctly once it is fixed. It would need someone who knows that this is a perfectly good machine, designed for its job, which is to learn all about all the wonderful capabilities that it already has. Who is in charge now? Could it be someone who really does not want this job? Someone who inherited the job from someone else and never really got the training needed, because the person he inherited the job from did not know what to do either? Is it possible that the tattered instruction manual that came with the job is obsolete and incomplete? Is it even possible that the person who is running this machine believes that it is a piece of junk and will never run right anyway?

The job description is clear. How do we find this person? Well, if we don't already have someone for the job, we need to put out a "want ad." However, I can tell you now, that the want ad has to be internal because no outside person can possibly do it. I can also tell you that a lot of what we call wounded selves will answer the ad so it is important to keep looking until you find the right one for the job. Until you do, it is okay to hire a "temp" but don't stop looking for the right one. You might need the help of an "employment agent" to "facilitate"your search.

Suppose you did succeed in hiring the right one, someone who really wants to set things right and is completely willing to learn how, what would that person need to do? First of all, he would probably have to pay close attention to how things are now. There would probably be a lot of places where the machine is not running correctly. Things turning the wrong way, misaligned, parts gunked up, lots of noise and grinding gears. She would have to notice exactly what is and is not running right and understand the good reasons why this is happening. He would have to understand how that part of the machine would be working if it were running correctly, and really identify each component that is malfunctioning. Then she would have to patiently figure out exactly what it would take to make the necessary adjustments and repairs. To do this job, he would need a really good instruction manual. Fortunately, there is one. It is called guidance. It covers every possibility, including recovering from all possible mistakes.

The person who took this job would also need tools and supplies. Luckily, and you undoubtedly knew where I was going with this, Inner Bonding supplies a complete toolkit and there are a lot of resources to teach anyone who wants to know how to use it. All this person needs is the willingness to learn to use the tools and the willing to follow instructions. There is no chance of running out of supplies. They are readily available from source, the ultimate supplier.

Finally, imagine what it would be like if your machine, your life were running well? Can you imagine your essence flowing smoothly and fully thru all the moving parts? Would the seamless functioning of this magnificent machine be an inspiration to everyone who came near it? Do you want the job of running it?