How does one learn to listen to that inner voice in a society that values alert problem solving and devalues silence?
Learning Transcendental Meditation this past semester has helped me to understand that it was a mistake to believe that what was happening outside of me was creating my life. When in reality my internal self has been creating my life experience all along. Through the practice of meditation I have learned to stop and listen. Listen to what my body and mind were asking for and, more importantly, not allow the troubles in my head to steal too much of my time.
Over time I have begun to see that positive thinking will see me through, positive actions will pave the path I seek. The moment I start doubting myself, I will see that doubt reflected in others. Making sure my truest desires influence my actions pushes doubt to the faintest level of my mind. I have learned who I am by recognizing who I am not and by rubbing up against that which I don’t want to be. 
When you know who you are, then nothing that happens when exposing yourself to opposing parties is able to penetrate you. You see your pain in all people; you see your struggle in all people because you know you’ve been there before and felt it. You learn not to force your beliefs on others or hold on to feelings that do not belong to you. As William Shakespeare says, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” We all play many roles throughout our life. Our success lies in not losing sight of our inner Self. Commitment to that most silent self is what will ultimately allow one to stay on track.
We can choose what role we want to play in society. We can also choose what it is that we want to give and receive. Though there is no denying that our environment influences how we feel, I now realize that I am the creator of my own cage. The door to my cage is always open. I don’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations other than my own. Each step I take can be a step toward building that cage or ripping the door open. Being a part of the planning, construction and demolishment of your own story is what makes you alive.
— Jennifer Bueso,
student of Interior Design at the College for Creative Studies, Detroit
This post was first published at the blog Tuning the Student Mind
