Conscience

        Consider conscience again, a choice, a guide, a way of living. We use it every day in some way or we follow a creed that allows us to think we have a conscience. How often do we consider it? Is it something we only consider when we have a serious choice to make, and how does it fit our way of life? Does it fit in at all? Perhaps the lifestyle we are living doesn't leave room for conscience. It's as if we go day by day and we are unaware, it's an unused tool for the most part.

        Conscience can be other than choice, that is, it is not just there when we have to decide between two things. It is an awareness of a connection, a spiritual connection. If we see it as a continuing evolving aspect of ourselves, we can develop it in such a way that it is truly a guide. When we are unaware of it, we often stumble through decisions in daily life and wonder why we have so much trouble.

        Conscience is making a conscious decision to connect to that which is not visible. It is opening a window or a door to an inner part that expressses itself in unusual ways. Many times we see a story about a hard decision and how someone followed his or her conscience. It is said as if it was an unusual thing. Why should it be? If you have a way of connecting to a part of yourself that yearns to be expressed in some way, then why not? Mainly, because we do not want our companion 'self' to get in the way. We want to go along and do our daily business and not be bothered. How can it help us, we wonder. Who wants to reach inside when it is much easier to glide along until something happens that crashes down on us.

        Conscience makes us look at ourselves and look past the armor we wear, the masks we shield ourselves with. Conscience makes us consider change, consider choices, even though we are much more omfortable in a pattern that appears to work. Yet we may be encouraged to know that conscience can keep us from making costly mistakes. It can steer us to a path that is best for learning and it can be a companion, a trusted companion and friend.