In this brief didactic video, Dr. Emmett Miller introduces the concept of the "inner leader," a deeper, wiser part of ourselves that should guide our thoughts, emotions, and actions. He contrasts this inner leadership with external forms of leadership—national, media, and the impulses of passion, fear, or bodily urges—that often steer us in undesired directions. Miller argues that modern culture suppresses the development of self‑leadership by focusing on control rather than teaching individuals how to be the boss of their own lives. He asserts that tools for awakening the inner leader are available, and that by letting go of past worries and future anxieties, and cultivating present‑moment awareness, we can access this inner wisdom. Once awakened, the inner leader can direct thoughts, which in turn guide emotions and bodily actions, leading to more intentional living. Miller concludes by urging viewers to develop this inner leadership as part of a shared, emerging global leadership, and invites them to access free resources on his website.
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Hello, I'm Dr. Ermett Miller, your guide on your journey into the healing of mind, body, emotion, and spirit, peak performance, and total wellness. And today I'd like to share with you a really interesting question that's come across my desk recently. The question is, what is an inner leader? The concept of the inner leader is one I introduced in my book, our culture on the couch just a few years back. You know, whatever happens, there's always a leader somewhere. For our nation, there's leadership at the top. Public opinion, it's led by the media. And this isn't to say that all leadership is good leadership. In fact, a lot of leadership takes us in places we don't really want to go. But there's an inner leadership too. Sometimes we're led by our passions, sometimes by our emotions, our fears, our anxieties, or our resentments. Sometimes the show is led by the body. It's what the stomach wants to do or what the genitals want to do that we end up doing. But there's a deeper leader within us, that part of us that really is supposed to be in charge. It's not in charge because it's been stifled by the culture that we live in. Our culture has been much more interested in controlling us rather than teaching us how to be the boss in our own lives. As a result, we haven't learned these tools. But those tools are available. And when they're properly used, it's possible to reach a certain level within. Like, you've probably had the experience of worrying about something for a long time and then suddenly— Ah, I've got it! The answer was there all the time, but you didn't see it. Probably you were too busy worried about things, or too upset about this, or feeling bad about what happened yesterday. But when you can let go of the past, when you can let go of any concerns about the future, because they don't really exist, when you can bring your awareness into the present moment and then touch into the deepest levels of yourself, to those levels that have wisdom. And there, that's the inner leader that we want to aim toward. When we awaken that leader, then that wisdom becomes the guide of our thoughts, our thoughts guide our emotions, and our emotions then guide our bodies, and they guide us to do what we do or what we don't do. So why not put the wisest part of yourself in charge of you. And not only that, but that inner leader has a role to play out there. The world hasn't been doing a very good job of leading us where we want to go now, has it? Well, that may be because it's time for you to join in. The leadership of the new world that's developing is going to be a shared leadership, and that inner leader is what needs to come forth to participate in that. Please visit DrMiller.com and check out the free resources there, or you can call 530-478-1807. And remember, you can change your mind and change your life.
This has been a DrMiller.com production. Rate, comment, and subscribe at YouTube.com/DrMiller. Emmett Miller, MD. To find out more about Dr. Miller, his recent articles, his free self-help resources, his internet radio show, Conversations with Extraordinary People, and his free e-newsletter, visit drmiller.com. That's drmiller.com.
