The Beast and the God Within: Part 1
They Live in Us All
Throughout history and across diverse cultures, there are stories or teachings that suggest within each of us exists both a beast and a god. My interpretation and experience describes this duality as an inner conflict that many of us can relate to. Our beast lurks in the shadows, always waiting for the opportunity to pounce when we are most vulnerable, during moments of fear, doubt, or uncertainty. It is drawn by the toxic thoughts that take over our mind, fueled by greed, anger, or resentment. The beast feeds off these emotions, growing stronger while depleting our energy, sending us into a downward spiral.
On the other hand, the god within us thrives and renews our energy with experiences that embody peace, joy, kindness, and love. The god within us is usually quieter, often taking a back seat, patiently waiting for us to find and create these moments of stillness and connection to ourselves, and others. Our god grows every time we choose compassion over conflict, understanding over judgment, creating more opportunities to experience the emotions that re-energize us, creating momentum for an upward spiral. **
The reality is, the beast and the god are always there, competing for space in our minds and hearts. The one that gains power is the one we choose to nurture with our thoughts and actions. So ask yourself, which one are you feeding right now? Which do you feed more often?
The beast in each of us is driven by a need to survive and protect itself. It is compelled to dominate, intimidate and rule. It is driven by all the emotions and behaviors that deplete us, usually stemming from fear—like anger, jealousy, greed, guilt, selfishness, and entitlement. These can be very strong and consuming emotions that are not just fleeting feelings. They have staying power and become states of mind that can take control of us if we let them. When we indulge in these emotions, we feed the beast and allow it to influence how we see ourselves and our world. We experience our reality through the lens of the beast.
You may have never ever thought about the influence your lens or filters have had on your perceptions or the way you relate to your world. You may have never considered that perhaps you are being led by your beast or how you have fed it all along the way. Now is your opportunity to reflect and become aware of the impact this has had on your reality. The good news is that this awareness puts you back into the driver’s seat. It is all about recognizing these elements and making conscious choices about what you allow to guide your thoughts and actions. This is the interaction at a personal individual level.
Now let’s look at the larger implications on our society and humanity. With everything going on in our world today, it can feel as though we are in constant battle with ourselves and each other. Either the beast or the god inside us, impacts the way we perceive ourselves and our world, as we experience these through the filters that have been influenced by our past experiences, habits, beliefs and social conditioning. As a society, we have and are creating more problems for ourselves by straying away from our natural capacities for empathy and compassion. Instead, we have been leaning into toxic thinking and toxic behaviors driven by our selfishness, sense of entitlement and fear. We have become more attached to the beastly side of our nature without even realizing it, resulting in a world at war at many levels. No one is immune to the beast.
Just as everyone is also born with an inner god, intuition, and consciousness. Imagine the world we would be living in, if more of us leaned into these aspects of ourselves. Imagine a society where our leaders led with these values, morals, and ethics. Imagine a humanity that felt more connected and alive because we focused on what we had in common versus that which we believe divides us. Imagine…
**(Many of you have heard me speak about the power of our emotional energy and how it can renew or deplete us through the experience of the upward and downward spiral. If you haven’t, and would like to learn more about this, I am offering a free Emotional Body Scan Masterclass. You can sign up HERE to receive more details.)