Commentary on Will

Much has been written here on Evolver about our creative contribution to the task of helping fellow sojourners on the long road towards a more awakened state of consciousness. I hope the following commentary will help in our common quest.

Birdlip,
July 22, 1944

"Let us speak tonight of what the Work teaches about Will. It says that such will as we have is the resultant of all our desires, and also that each different "I" within us has its own will. In order to keep one's aim Will is required. Let's suppose a person makes a small aim such as not to walk in a hurry. For a short time he manages to keep his aim. But the next moment he hurries as before and for weeks forgets what he had originally decided to do. Or say, a person makes a small aim to keep a pleasant expression on his or her face and does so for a time. Then dinner is served and the face assumes its ordinary expressions.

How can we increase Will? Let us take the example of a person who makes a bigger aim than those mentioned. He or she wishes not to identify with a particular recurring negative emotion. One way is to think about what is means to externally consider others and then try to practice it in reference to the source of the negative state. Self-love, however, does not wish to externally consider others. It does not bother about people in far worse situations than we are in ourselves and so feels right to be negative when it chooses. Nothing is easier than to bear the misfortunes of others. But it is curious to reflect on the connection between externally considering others and increase of Will. It is curious to begin to see on what Real Will depends, for obviously Real Will is not self-will. One may imagine Will means having one's own way. Yet this is not the case. It is useless to hear and not experience, to be told and not to practice. In fact, being told prevents experience." So how to proceed?

Being a creative, active, aware human being is a lofty goal. But how can we achieve it if we can't even control our spontaneous, reactive emotions? As is suggested above, one way is to begin to externally consider others or, to put it another way, to LOVE one another.