From Knowledge to Knowing: Choosing to Become ‘Witness’ to Life
In this 7-part series, we have been selecting excerpts from my latest book, SPARK: Journey from Success to Significance. We have been exploring the main protagonist, Steve Harmon’s indelible odyssey to a life of significance and impact. With each excerpt, we delve into the depths of Steve’s adventures, extracting their deeper meanings and exploring practical applications for our own lives.
In this fifth part of the 7-part series, we join Steve at the culmination of his whirlwind journey through a gauntlet of unexpected challenges and blessings. Here, we witness the final phase of Steve’s profound metamorphosis from a soul adrift in true meaning into an indelible spirit overflowing with an insatiable desire for lasting significance.
We join this section of Steve’s story in a village just outside Dharamsala, where Steve finally meets and delivers “the envelope” to Theo Miles, his company’s top boss. While there, he also reunites with Nadia and gets engrossed in helping to construct a children’s school in the village. During a coffee meeting with Theo, Steve receives an envelope. Yes, that very envelope he slogged to deliver to Theo! It contained a letter officially announcing his long-awaited promotion to his dream position as COO. But, upon receiving the news, Steve’s subdued reaction surprises Theo. Despite the promotion symbolizing the pinnacle of his career success, Steve seemed strangely unaffected.
The following interlude between the two men offers us a glimpse into Steve’s mind and the thoughts that brought about an inner knowing, highlighting the profound shift in perspective that evolved within him.
“Well, you seem awfully quiet for someone who has just been promoted,” Theo noticed.
“I … I don’t know what to say,” Steve replied, slowly making eye contact.
“Seriously? Wasn’t this what you wanted? Or were you hoping for a bigger compensation package?” Theo asked.
Steve ran his hand through his hair, his mind strangely numb. He looked at the envelope with the papers now tucked back in it. There was no doubt that it contained everything he wanted. And the salary package was more than what he had been expecting. But why wasn’t he excited? Why wasn’t he going crazy with immense joy? What was wrong?
Steve took a moment to peer out the window. Sonal was now standing on her toes, waving her doll incessantly, while her brother kept pulling her back by her sleeve.
He could not help but laugh, a genuine chuckle with unbridled joy. And suddenly, it was all clear.
Turning back to Theo, he slowly but assuredly handed the envelope back. “Thank you, Theo … thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for being you!”
“You don’t need to thank me. You have been an asset to this firm, and I am looking forward to a great future for our company with you at the helm,” Theo said, patting Steve on the back.
“Then give me a role where I will be at my best.”
Theo glanced at the envelope, then back at Steve. “Isn’t this what you asked for? Exactly what you wanted?”
“I did… for a very long time. But now …”
“Now …?”
“Now, I feel different.”
“I don’t understand,” Theo said, befuddled.
“I didn’t either, for a very long time. Let me put it this way … we all go through the ups and downs of life, good and bad days. But there are days which are plainly and simply spectacular! Stellar moments that define your life. Like the day I got accepted to Harvard. The day I won my first case. The day I bought my mother her own apartment. The day I got my dream job! But lately, I hadn’t felt that spark. And for a long time, I kept blaming it on life. But it was not life. It was me. It was me who was not feeling it.”
“Feeling what?” Theo probed, wanting to confirm what Steve was saying.
“My spark … my raison d’être, my reason for Being, as you said. Until last week, the day I met with the land commissioner, I was able to convince him to allocate the land for the new school. That was the day when I realized the spark was ignited again. And I could clearly see that everything I had accomplished so far had been driven by want, not a need, to escape the ignominy of a so-called mediocre existence. My ultimate dream was driven by a desire to be rich and successful, be someone who mattered in this world.”
“Wait, are you saying you did not enjoy all that … the hard work, the long nights, your accomplishments?”
“No, don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed it all. In fact, I am grateful for every experience and achievement. And I am grateful to myself for striving for them. If I hadn’t lived that dream, I would have never arrived at this one. In the last few years, I’ve had a lot of wins but also experienced a lot of turmoil. It’s like I’ve been slowly walking further and further away from my happiness. But that day at the commissioner’s office, I was finally using my skills for something I was truly passionate about. I felt alive! Excited! And strangely enough, I also felt a profound sense of peace. I felt like me again.”
“There’s something more to life than what we see, hear, touch. I still can’t define it. All I can say is, I feel it now … here,” he said, pointing to his heart. “So, instead of promoting me to COO, I’m asking you for the VP of Corporate Social Responsibility position.”
“Then who do you propose for the COO role?” Theo asked.
“I think it should be Susan. She is a perfect fit for the role.”
“Be careful what you are asking for, Steve,” cautioned Theo. “It’s not easy to give up the life you’ve led so far. The big client meetings, the business lunches, the dinner parties, the excitement of a win … your killer instinct?”
“I know now that as long as I am following what sparks my joy, my bliss— something that gives voice to my deepest values—the rest falls into place on its own. I no longer want to be led by ego, my fear of failure, but something far larger than myself,” exclaimed Steve.
The excerpt above traverses the fall of an ego and the rise of a true knowing for Steve. A knowing that ignites from an inner journey he takes because of the adventures and encounters he experiences in the short weeks he is in India. As he ventures deeper into his heart of hearts, he becomes more and more grounded in an expanding awareness of his true self and a newfound world that should be sparking the core of his life.
While the trappings of success have provided fleeting moments of pleasure and brought him to a ‘success’ juncture in his life, Steve knows no material achievement is sufficient enough to nourish his soul and bring lasting joy. He recognizes that genuine happiness lies not in the pursuit of personal accomplishment alone, but in creating a life that extends beyond the self and positively impacts others. A life of Significance!
More importantly, Steve realizes that people often confuse knowledge with knowing, yet the distinction is crucial.
At its core, knowledge encompasses facts, information, and data acquired through education, experience, and observation. It resides in the intellect, quantified by degrees, certificates, or expertise in specific fields. While valuable, knowledge is finite, external, and subject to interpretation.
In contrast, knowing transcends intellectual comprehension. It stems from introspection, contemplation, and inner exploration, representing an intuitive understanding deeply rooted in personal experience.
Knowing originates from inner wisdom, beyond the confines of rational thought. It integrates intellect, intuition, and emotion, offering profound clarity and insight.
The journey from knowledge to knowing commences with self-awareness—a voyage into the depths of one’s being to uncover hidden truths and potentials. It necessitates embracing both light and shadow aspects of the psyche, demanding patience, perseverance, and trust in the journey’s unfolding.
So, how can you activate your sense of Knowing?
Just as Steve’s whirlwind journey catalyzed his sense of Knowing – from a life he thought he knew in Canada to a new perspective of the world he found in India, you too can activate yours by choosing to become ‘witness’ to life. Becoming a ‘witness’ to life offers a transformative path to nurturing a deeper sense of Knowing aching to be awakened within yourself.
Here’s how:
Cultivate Presence
By choosing to be a witness to life, you cultivate a state of presence and mindfulness. Rather than being swept away by the constant stream of thoughts and emotions, you learn to observe them without judgment or attachment. You become less entangled in the drama and more attuned to the underlying patterns and truths. This expanded perspective enables you to see beyond the surface and tap into deeper insights about yourself and the nature of existence.
Practice Daily Self-Reflection
Engage in regular self-reflection to deepen understanding of beliefs, fears, hopes, and aspirations. Journaling, contemplation, or introspective exercises provide tools for exploration, fostering clarity and insight. Ask yourself probing questions about your desires, fears, and aspirations. Reflect on past experiences and the lessons they have taught you. Through self-reflection, you gain clarity and insight into your true nature, paving the way for greater access to your state of knowing.
Nurture Inner Stillness
Cultivate a space of inner silence to allow inner knowing to flourish. Just like a baby needs the silence of the womb to grow, we need to cultivate a space of silence within us for our inner knowing to take form. Disconnect from external distractions, practice mindfulness techniques like meditation or yoga and quiet the mind’s chatter to enable inner wisdom to emerge.
Honour Your Inner Knowing
Trust the whispers of intuition and inner guidance, paying attention to subtle feelings and instincts. Trust that these nudges guide towards alignment with one’s highest good, even if they defy logical reasoning or societal expectations. The more you trust your inner knowing and intuition, the stronger it gets.
Embrace Growth
Choosing to remain a witness to life invites an attitude of openness and curiosity towards the unfolding of each moment. Rather than clinging to fixed beliefs or expectations, or notions of failure and success, embrace change and uncertainty, viewing them as opportunities for growth and transformation. Release fixed beliefs and expectations, welcoming the fluidity of life’s journey.
The journey from knowledge to knowing is a sacred pilgrimage of self-discovery and inner transformation. It is a journey that invites us to transcend the limitations of the mind and awaken to the boundless potential of the soul.
Embrace this journey with openness and curiosity, Knowing that the answers you seek are already inside of you.
If you are interested in digging deeper into the concept of Knowing, I’ve covered the subject in many other posts on this blog. Here are some links to posts you can read –
Difference between belief and knowing
Know the difference between Knowledge vs. Knowing
Feel free to add your remarks, start discussions with others and/or ask me questions in the comment section below.