The discovery of my inner quality was, in fact, completely unanticipated. I was meditating upon self and probing deeper into consciousness, when I "saw" a brilliant white-green point of light in my mind's eye. As I examined this phenomenon, I realized that it radiated a quality: a blending of honor and integrity that was divine-like in its purity, infinite in duration and expression. What was most remarkable was the immediate understanding that I was looking at my inner self: the essence of my individuality as a human being.

At first, this was astonishing to me because, until then, I had always considered myself a realist in my professional and personal life. The idea that my inner quality was honor and integrity seemed out of character, especially given the moral dilemmas and compromises so common in my career as a foreign policy specialist. Yet, the truth of my experience was undeniable. I had come face-to-face with my inner quality. And I clearly understood that the purpose of my life was to reflect and eventually become as much of that inner quality as opportunity and self-determination allowed. 

As I thought about how to do this, I made a second discovery: the experience of finding the inner quality awakens a mental capability which I call the higher mind. The higher mind is able to integrate the realism of the world with the idealism of the inner quality. Strategically speaking, the universe of options available to achieve some objective is greatly expanded, because the higher mind broadens the horizons of reality and hence pushes outward the boundaries of rationality. From the perspective of the higher mind, it is usually possible to solve or manage practical problems in ways that are consistent with the moral imperatives of one's inner quality.