We spend so much of our lives pushing, don’t we, striving to attain some status, acquire some thing, know some important person, or earn some amount of money? We errantly believe that once we make that first million, or drive that Mercedes, or hob-nob with those Joneses, then we will have arrived. But as anyone who’s accomplished any of these ego-driven goals can attest (myself included), once you reach one false horizon, another somehow appears. Then another. And another. We never get there, not this way. And our ego-driven, ambition-laden lives prevent us from enjoying our precious present moments.
And we wonder why. Why aren’t we happy? Why isn’t life more fulfilling? When will things look up for us? It’s not like we’re not trying, pushing, striving for what we want, right?
In the meantime, we often suffer anxiety, depression and a general sense of distraction and discontent. Inevitably, we hit a wall. Who among us hasn’t hit that wall in our lives, that trying time when we ask ourselves the nagging existential question, “Is this all there is?”
We need a Shift.
In his beautifully simple, elegant new book The Shift, Dr. Wayne Dyer guides the reader on the road from Ambition to Meaning. The structure of the book is inspired and eminently readable. Each of the four chapters describes one of the significant shifts we can make in this lifetime. They are titled, in order, From, Ambition, To, Meaning.
In short, “From” describes our initial shift, before birth, from formless energy to our material “selves.” This pre-ego manifestation of Being is a mystery to our limited, linear-thinking minds. Suffice to say that this is a period of unquestioned, silent connectedness to Source, God, our true essence. The “Ambition” shift is, conversely, driven entirely by the self-important ego, our “false self.” This is the period of constant thriving described above. “To” is our first step away from the demands of the ego toward purpose and authenticity. In “Meaning,” we reconnect with our ego-free Source through a more spiritual, less material sense of awareness. This shift is marked by kindness, selflessness, and a sense of fulfillment and joy.
For the majority of us, the most difficult shift involves clearing the mind-clutter of the ego. I’ve personally spent a great deal of time in “Ambition,” developing a resume, achieving goals and degrees, striving to be the best. So personally, I had a strong initial reaction to Dr. Dyer’s use of “ambition” as a dirty word. Wait a minute, Doc! Isn’t ambition important, and I mean really important? Wouldn’t we all be couch potatoes without it? Further, don’t I carry greatness in me that begs to be expressed? Don’t we all? How can we achieve greatness without ambition, without ego?
Reading The Shift, it is clear that greatness can only truly be accomplished through elimination of the ego. Otherwise, anything we describe as greatness: a high salary, a major promotion, a new car; they are all solely based in ego. We make no contribution to a greater good. Our authentic selves are missing. Ego tricks us into thinking we are full, when in fact we are empty.
My ego-mind then wonders whether I forfeit something important, some power or control, if I engage in The Shift toward “Meaning.” Doesn’t the radical sense of humility Dr. Dyer proposes denote a certain weakness? Clearly, it does not. Nothing is more powerful than leading a meaningful existence, one in which we do not have to beat anybody, or take anything from anyone, in order to win. In “Meaning,” we are all one, we are together, and we all win.
Still, I have to say that reading that who I truly am has nothing to do with things, accomplishments and so on, was a bit frightening for me. What’s left? But this fear is, of course, my ego fast at work, needing to be better than, or have more than, someone else. This is separateness at its boldest, and denotes a distinct, soul-less, disconnect from Source.
And we feel it. It’s palpable when our lives are devoid of Meaning. Our lack of authenticity is apparent, in our anxiety or depression, our ill-temperament, our mean-spiritedness, our lack of meaningful relationships. If we have the courage to allow ourselves to look within, it could not be more apparent.
The key to the Shift, according to Dr. Dyer, is actually quite simple, and undeniably re-instills joy to our ego-driven shells. Attend to your authentic self. Rediscover your dreams, and live them. Touch the lives of others in a meaningful way. In effect, this book is a reminder of all that we already know, all that we’ve known since early, early childhood. The Shift isn’t about acquiring some new self-help knowledge or skill set. It’s a loving reminder for us to return to our authentic nature. And Dr. Dyer once again offers the reader the distinct, quite hopeful impression that it is never too late to make the shift from “Ambition” to “Meaning.” Regardless of our circumstances, the shift is never more than a thought away.
The Shift is a book for the restless, the seeker, any one of us who wonders, “Is this all there is?” In simple, clear, direct prose, The Shift offers the reader a synopsis of the entirety of Dr. Dyer’s message over the years: that we are, each of us, connected to our Source and to one another. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Like the concepts it embodies, The Shift is a brief, simple read. This is good news, as the ego is a tenacious bugger, and revisiting these chapters will help keep it at bay. The very reading of this book elevates the reader’s consciousness. I personally feel guided anew in the direction of “Meaning.”
In the midst of reading The Shift, my wife Julie and I took a long midday walk through a quiet, sunny, snow-covered meadow. At one point, I suggested we stop and listen. And there it was.
Silence.
Neither of us could remember how long it had been since we experienced the bliss of total silence, the calming sense of nothing-ness only found in Nature. It was then that I remembered a disarmingly simple yet critical concept from The Shift: “God”s on and only voice is silence.”
Without The Shift, I never would have considered the solemnity, the very grace of that moment. As it was, I became fully aware of my connection to God at that time, and was truly overcome with a sudden, badly-needed sense of comfort and well-being. I like to think that for those precious few moments, my ego was fully at bay and I was remembering where I came from.
The more such moments we allow ourselves, the more likely The Shift.
Walking through that meadow, I had nothing. I realize now I had it all.
NOTE: For this review, I received a copy of this book free, via mail, from Hay House.
“The Shift” by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer will be released Tuesday, March 2, 2010.
It can be purchased online via:
Very nice, John. I wish I could write a book review like this… I totally sucked on book reports and am glad I don’t have to do that anymore.
Sounds like Dr. Dyer’s points are parallel to the Buddhist teachings. I wish he writes a book without the words “God” and “Source” — I suffer from fundamental aversion to those words. I have to rewrite all of those into “Nature” in my mind, and it gets a bit too tiresome. But this might be because my ego is striving to be heard, and when I could make the shift they probably don’t bother me at all.
Nature’s silence can also be deafeningly loud. I watched several meteor showers in the still of the high hills well past midnight during college. Every time I felt I became part of the whole thing and the whole thing was inside of me; it was so loud and frightening. Awe-inspiring. Since then, I can take myself there when I’m in a right mood. The problem is I am very willful. I resist going there because I want to be taken care of, rather than having to do everything myself. When I quench this thirst of 5-year-old me, I’ll be able to attain anatta, shift to meaning. I know it, but it’s darn hard!
Hey Tomo,
Thanks for reading! It really is a great book! Listen, Dr. Dyer would happily replace ‘God’ or ‘Source’ with ‘Nature.’ I love the imagery of your meteor shower. Sounds as close as a return to ‘Nature’ as I can imagine.