We Are ALL Leaders

by Cynthia Schwartzberg

Leadership defined by Webster is the capacity or ability to lead – to show the way or by going in advance; to guide or direct on a course. For many of us, we have walked a spiritual path for years, for others we are beginners, but wherever you are, you can discover the value of self-purification and its effect on the greater plan of salvation. The more we work on ourselves, the more we have to give to others and the more we can make a difference in the world.

My spiritual path began in 1972 when I discovered the Pathwork, a self-growth, self-transformational path given by Eva Pierrakos. Ms. Pierrakos was a full trans-medium and had a spiritual being, the Guide speak through her. The teachings she gave provided many tools to understand the self, the world and to develop a strong connection to God.

I came to the work seeking something greater than what I was brought up with and seeking God. Over the years I have had to uncover aspects of myself that I wanted to hide and own the strengths that once made me feel ashamed. One of those qualities had to do with leadership. And, I suspect, as the Guide has taught us, that this is so for everyone as we are all leaders of our own lives and thus influence others as well.

So from this base let’s address the importance of looking at ourselves as leaders in this great time of transition. The world is in great turmoil and the leaders of the world as well. As we work on ourselves we can make a difference much like we did with the Berlin Wall. During the 70’s many people were working on letting go of their defenses. Some will say, as we were working with our inner wall and defenses, a greater force was reflected on the outside after years of hard work with the coming down of the Berlin Wall. This is based on two principles – we create our own reality and the inner is a reflection of the outer.

So, when we look at leadership, we are looking at the qualities we need to develop within to become strong leaders, and know that this work will directly affect the world around us.

The Guide’s teaching on Leadership points to qualities such as willingness to accept criticism; tolerance of frustration and willingness to give (wanting to give unselfishly) and to be impartial and objective. For myself, I am constantly working with these qualities as I lead the Pathwork of Georgia, as well as my personal life. It is not about being perfect as much as the willingness and intention to keep exploring and dying to our human imperfections.

There are times when I want to ignore what the authority is saying and judge it or discount it. I can then see that I do that also to my own inner authority and I feel the price I pay for doing such a thing. It can be anything from not listening to myself when I am thinking about taking my cell phone charger, then running out of batteries; to not following through with something I am committed to doing. There are times when I push to get something done on my terms and may be blind to considering all aspects of the situation. You may do similar or different things. I invite you to make the following inquiries: What are my motives? Where do I feel a victim to authority? Where do I want to complain and judge?

I would like to end with a quote to the Guide: (Lecture #237) “In true giving you state this: ‘I want to be an instrument of divine reality to enrich the world outside through the divinity that wants to express itself through me. I want to do this neither for my ego aggrandizement nor for any other ulterior motive or advantage…”

So, the more we keep peeling away to discover our real feelings, pains, hurt and needs, the more we develop a deep self-confidence. From here we can lead. We can feel like we are in charge of our lives; we become role models for others, and we are grounded to give and make a difference in the world. We can feel God’s presence move within us and through us.
I invite you to continue your journey of self-discovery. Remember each opportunity becomes an opportunity of growth. The world is calling each of us to grow NOW.

Cynthia Schwartzberg, LCSW has been a Pathwork Helper since l980 and is presently Director of the Pathwork of Georgia.
CSCyntha@aol.com.