The Chief Inside

Somewhere in each of us, there is a Chief. You do not see him at the table, but he is there. She does not speak with the voice of the news or the hum of the machine, but with the voice that comes in the quiet moments, when you are alone with yourself.

For some, the Chief is God. For others, the Chief is the weight of family tradition, or the deep beliefs carved into them by years of living. Whether we hear the Chief’s voice is not the question. We all hear it. The question is whether we obey.

When we ignore the Chief, we may still smile in the sunlight, still carry out the tasks of the day, but somewhere inside, the ground will shift. The roots will not drink. The air will be heavy. We will live with a quiet grief that no celebration can chase away. And we will know, even if no one else knows, that we have turned away from our own center.

When we honor the Chief, there is no need for applause. We find a deeper rest. The air clears. Our steps feel right under us. Even in hardship, we carry a kind of unshakable peace — the peace of walking the path the Chief marked for us long ago.

So I ask you — who is the Chief you serve? What does that voice ask of you? Do you bring the Chief into the glow of your devices, into the whir of your work, into the decisions you make about what technology you welcome?

The machines may promise ease and speed, but the Chief asks for something else: to choose what will keep your soul whole. Listen to that voice. Do not let the noise drown it.

Because the Chief inside is not just a guide. The Chief inside is your true north, and the keeper of your fire.

Shawn Murtagh

Son. Husband. Father of 4. Programmer. Writer. Seeker of slow wisdom in a world gone mad with speed. Founder of Low Tech Monk.