As Within So Without

It's an ancient adage that what is going on within our consciousness, our inner belief system, is reflected as experiences in our outer world.

Sometimes it's hard to accept that what's going on without in our experience is a reflection of what's going on within our consciousness. This feels especially true when we're dealing with people who aren't treating us the way we feel they should.

Yet once we accept this as true -- not just sometimes but all the time -- we become empowered to make massive changes in our outer experience because while we can't manipulate what's going on without, we can take charge of what's going on within. And when we do that the outer automatically changes.

We bring about this change in consciousness through the tools of affirmation and visualization.
However, these affirmations and visualizations can't be casual or simply perfunctory. They must be done with a deep intention to fully realize the truth of what you're affirming or visualizing. The affirmations and visualizations must be done until you experience an inner click, an inner knowing that this is no longer an affirmation but an absolute truth about you and your experience.

Many years ago I had an experience that I call to mind when I want to remind myself that this process of inner transformation works and changes the outer automatically.

There was a person in my life who constantly put me down. Every time I was in his presence within a few minutes he'd start recounting the sins of my life and making derogatory statements about me, my beliefs and my lifestyle.

I made a firm decision that this was not going to continue to happen and that if it did I would not be spending any time with him. So I did the inner work. I visualized him starting to put me down and saw that he stopped and switched to a different subject. I didn't attempt to get him to say positive things about me -- now I wonder why I didn't -- but just that put-downs were no longer allowed. I did this inner work for several days until I felt an inner realization that the programming was done. Then I went to visit to test whether it had worked.

I'd been there about ten minutes when he started to say something that was headed in a derogatory direction. Without saying a work I simply raised my hand sending a silent message of "stop." And just as I'd seen it in my visualization, his voice trailed off and started up again on an entirely different subject. An interesting aside is that he didn't seem to realize what had happened. One second he was talking about one thing and then he simply switched.

One of my most powerful Truth teachers said that no one can hit you over the head unless at some level you've given them permission. I'm not sure "permission" is the most appropriate word, but I do truly realize that no one can put me down or keep my good from me if my consciousness is firmly aligned with the good I desire.