The Transformative Act of Looking Within

The mysteries of life seem endless. Perhaps because they are endless.

That being said, I find myself wondering at times how many of these mysteries are true mysteries – questions with no real answers, versus the kinds of mysteries created by the mind due to a false understanding of the true reality in which we exist.

An example of what might be referred to as a “false mystery”, and this is merely my opinion on this matter, is the question of “where are we before we are born”, or “where do we go after we die”. The reason for the “falsiness” of this question is due to the use of the concept “where”.

You see, the concept of “where” applies to space / time, which is an aspect of this physical life, but may not be an aspect of existence before we enter this world, or after we leave. What is happening here is that we are using the context of this world to try to perceive what the other world looks like. This creates a false division in our minds because with this question, we are immediately assuming that this world is other than that world!

What if, for example, a larger part of us is ALWAYS in that world — and by always, I mean — what if we exist there primarily and fundamentally, outside of time/space limitations? And what if, while being primarily “there”, a part of us enters and exits this world?

When a movie watcher sits down to an engrossing movie, they may indeed feel transported into the world of that movie, yet they fundamentally remain there in their seat watching the movie.

“When you trust your inner guidance and begin moving in the direction of your dreams (aligned with your individual gifts) you will be cloaked in an armor bestowed upon you by your guardian angel.”

― Charles F. Glassman

What Does It Mean to Look Within?

If you have ever been guided to look within, what is your understanding of that guidance? What assumptions are baked in? What belief systems get in the way, or conversely – assist you in your efforts?

Looking within can be a challenge for many. Maybe you feel like you have to ignore the outside world. Or somehow forget or deny your real-world problems for some amount of time in order to look within. Or maybe there is fear that comes up immediately at the thought of looking within due to past experiences, or fear of what you might find or learn in doing so.

If any of these things get in the way, perhaps it would help to revisit this simplest of analogies of the movie-goer in the seat at the theater.

What if the thing that you think of as “real life” is just playing out around you. It follows a certain timeline — has a past, present, and future. A beginning, middle, and end. A final conclusion. And yet… there you sit – outside of all of that. Beyond its constraints and reach. Indeed, how much of “you” is consumed when watching a movie? Is it not in fact a tiny percentage, no matter how engrossed you may become?

Now let us consider that which you consider “real life”. What if a much bigger part of you is also there, outside of this paradigm, sometimes watching, sometimes distracted? What if that larger version of you can look forward or backward on the movie reel? What if that larger portion of you can influence how the smaller version of you experiences the movie?

If it knows how the movie ends or key plot twists, would it tell you? What if you needed an answer about a big decision… and you knew enough to ask this larger part of you? Would it give you the answer? Would it always give you the answer or would it sometimes give it to you and sometimes withhold it?

This can all feel frightening if you think of this larger version of yourself as “other than” you. If it is a spirit guide, or God, or whatever… whenever it is other than you, there is ample room for distrust to enter the picture.

But what happens when you fall back into the realization that you truly are much, much MORE than your conscious awareness? What happens when you practice the mantra “I AM WHOLE AND COMPLETE”, or “I ACCEPT MYSELF FULLY AND COMPLETELY”?

What if nothing is missing? Nothing is truly wrong? What if you are exactly where you are meant to be at this point in the story of your soul’s evolution? What happens when you learn to truly and deeply trust your soul?

These are all ways to expand your understanding of what it may mean for you to look within. You see, it’s not a trivial matter by any stretch of the imagination.

When you begin to understand and believe that a part of you — something inside of you — already knows all of the answers, the world changes and you change too.

Is Change a Speed Bump or On-ramp?

Here’s a quick story I’d like to share on this topic.

There’s someone I knew for a long time, from the world of my day job. At this time in my life — in my early woo days — I was terrified the “normies” would find out about me. This is hilarious now to think back on, but it’s a real thing, and something a lot of us go through.

After some time, I mentioned something to her about a certain practice I did before a meeting to prepare. She knew something of this from a Reiki class she took and mentioned that to me. “Whew, she gets it!” I remember thinking to myself. Long story short, we had a few lunch breaks together discussing these things, and stayed in touch for some time after I left that job.

I’ll never forget one of those lunches we shared. She was telling me about how she was seeing orbs, and believed they were relatives who passed. She related other areas of life where her awareness was expanding.

Then she shared something that surprised me at the time – she told me that she was choosing to stop her learning, her practice, at least for now. I asked why? I was really a bit baffled, not realizing that my confusion was entirely due to my own mental framework at the time.

She said something to the effect that she treasures her time with her daughter and the music that they listen to. This was one example of several examples of things she cherished about her connections to people she loved. Then she said – I know that if I continue down this path, I will change even more, and I may not be able to have these experiences.

At the time, I admit, there was a part of me that wanted to judge this – believing this to be all a manifestation of limiting beliefs.

But over time, it has all become clearer to me. She was consciously processing what it means to change in rather profound ways. Do we know what we may have to give up along the way when we undergo such changes? Not really, but there’s a good chance we will indeed have to let go of things as we enter new spaces, or new realms. As our awareness grows, it is true that there are things from the past that may not excite us in the same ways.

None of this is inherently good or bad from my perspective. What is key, and what my friend was demonstrating – is the self-awareness to know where you’re at in relation to the change.

Too much change too quickly can be destabilizing, dis-integrating. Too little change or growth can lead to stagnation and feeling drained.

We’re not always in control of the amount of change we encounter in life. But we can make the experience of change easier on ourselves by simply being as aware as possible of whether transformation is energizing or fear-inducing for us at any given time in our lives. Be accepting of this information. Allow it to come up. Know too that it takes courage to do so.

Ask yourself – what is your experience right now of change and transformation? Does it feel more like a speed bump, or an on-ramp? Your answer can help guide you as you consider what it truly means to not only look within, but to also trust that what you find is true, and in your best interests.

Remember, regardless of where you are in the movie (i.e. hesitant or eager), the larger version of you is always there for you. There’s no rush.

“It’s a process” 🙂

If you’d ever like an outside ear to bend, or guidance with this process, I am happy to help.