A Course in Love & Healing 
 
Lesson 32

Hero Alert

By Dr.Scott Peck & Shannon Peck 
Co-Founders,TheLoveCenter

We stood behind Max, our 15-year old friend & “hero” as he was playing a video game, interacting with several other teenagers on different computers. His computer character was a “hero” and he was being attacked from many directions. Does that sound like your life? But Max was ready. Quickly but carefully he defended himself and knocked down all attackers. He remained vigilant, on guard, and held his ground.

Even though we admired Max’s skill, alertness, and agility in defending himself as a hero, we were privately thinking, “What a destructive influence such video games are on this generation.”

But then we thought about our own lives. Each of us has a “Highest Self” – our Hero Self who we truly are at our highest possible manifestation – that needs to be actively defended. 

The attacks on our Highest Self come in many disguises – someone’s unkind remark that sends us into hurt or anger. Inner doubts or inadequacies that make us question our worth and value. What percent of the time do you find yourself feeling self-doubt, hurt, anxiety, or fear? This is all downtime from your Highest Self – from giving the universe your greatest gifts and feeling the joy of being centered in true being. And then we need to recover all that lost ground through deep, quiet meditation, prayer,  yoga, or whatever means each of us use to get recentered.

That’s when we began to appreciate the lesson we could learn from Max and his video game. We began to think of life as a game of how securely we can remain in our Highest Self as it comes under attack by negativity, events, or our inner critic. This forces us to stay alert and in the present moment, to instantly reject thoughts that would take us down, and to swiftly respond to challenges as the hero to ourselves we are all able to be. 

Our true Highest Self is filled with joyful outlook, creativity, and vision about its own image. It feels wonderful and empowered because it is always coming from the Light. Its entire value is Love. It considers itself a Love-success. In the face of this Highest Self hero power, all the “not enoughs” go down in defeat. They do not represent our true identity and do not belong to our Hero Self. Each of us has the ability to recognize negative forces, oppose them, and consciously stay in our Highest Selves. 

Negative self images need to be addressed. Old thought patterns of unworthiness, shame, inadequacy, inferiority, and insecurity need to be constantly dissolved by our Highest Self. Each of us can step forward with triumph and power as the hero of our own Highest Self. 

Whatever argues for less than our Highest Self needs to be released. The ego self is blind. It trusts only what it sees. It counts money and position to determine success or failure. It counts years ahead and sees insufficient time going vastly against itself. It looks around and compares itself unfavorably with all other Highest Selves. It is full of inner judgment and self-criticism that attempts to sabotage our worth. 

But then we remember our hero – our Highest Self. We throw off the cloak and dare to be visible as who we really are! We dare to express the courage to come out from among all the dark shadows of negativity and stand unafraid in the Light and glory of our Highest Self. We need and applaud the Hero within you. Welcome to the heart of Love.