One way to understand what goes on in our minds is to consider two sides of our own psychology. Cayce referred to one aspect as the personality; the other, the individuality. Briefly, the personality is that part of us that operates primarily on automatic pilot. It is the side of us that others see and know—the facade or persona, we might say. On the other hand, the individuality is the more authentic spiritual self. Without it, we’re really nothing. It is the “higher self,” an expression that’s become popular in recent years. It’s the individuality that surfaces when we meditate successfully. In fact, one way to define meditation is an activity that partakes, not of the personality, but of the individuality.
Even though the individuality is clearly the superior element in us, the personality has a constructive role to play as well, if it will agree to limit its authority. Instead of usurping leadership, its place is to serve the individuality and the high purposes within the soul. Unfortunately, the personality tends to do otherwise. It wants to be in charge. It has its own agenda and desires, and the personality tries to take control whenever it can.
One of the most distinct characteristics of the personality is a false notion of itself. In other words, we all have certain ideas about ourselves that are illusory. Those distortions come in many shapes and sizes, including:
• exaggerated notions of our own importance—what we might call self-aggrandizement;
• overly critical ideas about our own shortcomings—what we might call self-condemnation;
• distorted pictures of who and what we are supposed to become—expectations that don’t come from our own individualities but instead from parents, friends, or the society at large.
What does all this have to do with how you wake up in the morning? Simply this: Unless you make a conscious effort to do otherwise, your personality self quickly gains control of your life first thing in the morning. Unless you use your free will to change the pattern, the habitual thoughts and feelings of your personality self grab your attention from the initial minutes of the day. And in so doing, chances are severely diminished that your individuality will awaken and provide direction during the day. This condition is a sure-fire formula for tension and stress in the day that lies ahead.
What does it feel like when your personality makes this grab for power? You may experience it as a burden—the weight that comes from having a mental list of ways you have to please everyone else in your life today. Or, you may feel it as worry when you consider all the problems that you’re sure to face in the hours ahead. Another possibility is that first thing in the morning your personality will make you feel frustrated or discouraged, almost wishing that you didn’t have to get up because your actual life situation is so far removed from what you desire.
What’s the remedy? Transition times are especially important, so it’s crucial to get the day started right with a positive habit. But the question remains, “How can I, at least temporarily, keep my personality from asserting itself and instead let my individuality set a tone for the day?”
Here’s the creative habit that can make the difference. Its essence is a prayerful attitude that invites spiritual guidance. First thing in the morning upon awakening, you can dedicate one minute to God. If worries, concerns, to-do-lists, or desires try to squeeze in, they can be gently but firmly instructed to wait. No doubt they will get their turns later, but for this first minute of the day—as the transition is being completed back to physical consciousness—an expression of the individuality self will be given top priority.
Here’s one way to prayerfully hold that attitude. When you first wake up in the morning, say silently to yourself, “God, what would You have me do today.” Repeat it several times, and do it with sincerity. It’s crucial that you really mean it. Feel your openness to be guided. Then listen for an inner response—an intuitive prompting or an inner knowing about what’s important for the day ahead. Let your individuality self function clearly and be intuitively receptive. Let yourself be inspired with a sense of what the top priority for the day ought to be.
Of course, this is no magic incantation, and you can certainly reword the prayer if an adaptation fits you better. But no matter what exact words you choose, remember that it’s not merely a matter of saying the words by rote, just to get it over with. The power of the words comes when your mind sincerely feels their meaning. As you say the prayer, you’ve got to really mean it! A feeling of trust and surrender is required, a willingness to believe that God has a way that this very day can best be lived.
Notice something about the suggested format, “God what would You have me do this day?” These words are in the form of a question, so this morning habit doesn’t end with a sincere repetition of the words. The listening that follows is vital.
And what kind of a response can be expected? A few people have reported a still small voice that gives guidance for the day: an attitude to hold in mind, the reminder of a specific person to help, or a project to start. More often people who have tried this exercise get a different result. They hear no voice—audible or from within—but instead they receive a clear impression about how to meet the day. It may come as an intuition about the best way to face challenges that will arise. Or, it may come as an inspiration to take some initiative.
Other people have found that nothing comes to them in those early morning moments. They repeat the words of surrender and openness, they listen inwardly and outwardly, but nothing seems to happen. Nevertheless, these same individuals have found that something has qualitatively shifted by having started out the day this way. They find that the basic attitude of trust and openness carries over. Perhaps the guidance comes later in the day. Even though the personality self quickly asserts its agenda upon getting out of bed, still the day goes differently than it might have because of that questioning prayer—“God, what would You have me do this day?”
A STORY FROM THE CAYCE ARCHIVES
One of the best illustrations of this prescription from Edgar Cayce—to start the day right—comes from the story of a sixty-one-year-old woman. Agnes made the long train ride to Virginia Beach in the second week of May. It was 1943, and as they came into the Norfolk and Virginia Beach area it was evident that this was a center of wartime activity.
But it wasn’t to see mighty naval ships or watch fighter aircraft making practice flights that brought her on this lengthy trip. She had an appointment for May 16 with a most unusual man. Almost everything she knew of Edgar Cayce was from her friend Martha, who had invited her and two other friends to make this venture. The four women were coming to get psychic readings and personal advice from Cayce—hopefully with as much success as Martha had already had getting medical counsel from Cayce for her arthritis.
Agnes’ needs, however, weren’t related to physical health. She was troubled by the tensions of uncertainty. Recently widowed, she was confused about her life direction. She had made an appointment to get a special kind of clairvoyant reading from Cayce—what he called a “life reading” because it would describe the patterns of her soul and the deepest purposes for her life.
Agnes had been told that she could be present to hear the reading from Cayce, even though it was more customary for him to do his psychic work at a distance and have his secretary send a transcript of all he said from the trance state. She knew what it would take to begin to diminish her anxieties about the future. Already scribbled on a piece of paper in her purse were four questions she hoped to ask at the end of the reading:
• Where should I live in order to be of the most service?
• Toward what sort of work or endeavors should I direct my energies?
• Am I correct in feeling that I have some sort of writing talent to make use of?
• How can I discipline myself at my age to do what is mine to do?
On May 16 at four o’clock in the afternoon she got her chance. Seated comfortably in Mr. Cayce’s study, she watched the most remarkable series of events in her life. With his wife, Gertrude, and his secretary, Gladys, in the room as well, Cayce took a few short moments for prayer and then lay