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Most people go through life fighting the same battles in different contexts. If you believe you’re basically worthless, this will find form in every context of your life.  So you might be dealing with relationship problems,  or addictions of every kind from shopping, to talking, to oxycodone and everything in between.  You might have problems in your work history, unable to get along with other people, or you might have an uncanny instinct to sabotage yourself at the point of success, or you might just have a general apathy about life.  You are not surprised when things go wrong.

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All of the above are just different contexts for the manifestation, the acting out,  of your core belief, “I am basically worthless.” There is an endless array of negative beliefs you cling to, but they’re only different flavors of the core belief, “I am basically worthless.”

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You could spend your life, as so many of you do, in trying to rearrange its different contexts.  You could seek advice, follow it, you could go to counseling, read a book, confront people, manipulate, ignore, or antagonize them. All these things, and many more, could you do.  Read any advice columns to see the myriad of contexts representing core beliefs.

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You could make yourself very busy in what you like to call the “real world”, pushing and pulling, rearranging, trying to cause one thing and prevent another.  But really, what are you doing with all of this activity?  You are distracting yourself.  You are looking away.

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Away from what?

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What compulsive behaviors do you have?  Where do you spend a lot of time?  What are you avoiding?

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Instead of spending all this negative energy trying to rearrange reality, which you cannot do, why not agree to one simple, profound change?  Begin with the inner world.  Take a few moments to access it now.  Breathe in for a slow count of four, hold for five, and exhale for nine.  Align your breathing with this new thought: Let me begin with the inner world.  Let me go within.

With just one change to your idea of who you are, a change that no one but you can make, you can bring transformative change to every context of your life. Transformative change in relationships, work, play, love, in every context of your life.

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Who would not want this?

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How may such change be achieved?

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Go within, be quiet, create sacred space, be receptive.  Simply affirm, “I am valuable beyond measure. God created me like Him, perfect.  I am simply perfect.”

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People try to get away from it all – to the country, to the beach, to the mountains. You always wish that you could too. Which is idiotic: you can get away from it anytime you like

By going within

 

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations