The Mask and the Magic
To remain on the path to positive abundance we must have our insulators in place. The insulators are faith in self, faith in others and faith in a generative force (see Chapters 9, 10 and 11 in The Law of Abundance). Just as layers of insulation prevent an electrical short circuit, so too do they prevent us from short circuiting our goals and straying off our true abundance path.
Many assume that having faith in self is as easy as having faith in either of the other two insulators, but that is seldom the case. For most, faith in self is the most challenging to attain and the most difficult to sustain. Why?
Well, who knows us better than we know ourselves? We know every little weakness, flaw, disability and limitation that we have or have ever had, and these are often what we dwell upon. We have strengths, abilities and wonderful, unique gifts too, but these often get buried under all the baggage we carry with us.
When we put on a false mask as a child to help us conform to expectations and be accepted by those that matter to us, and we do that early in life, we don't even know we have done it. When we identify with the false mask and assume it is who we are, we are often disappointed in what we see. No one really likes the mask they adopted, nor should they. Masks prevent us from discovering our truth and living life to the fullest.
To have faith in self, we have to be functioning from an authentic place and we can't do that when we are identified with a mask that does not reflect our truth.
Your truth, by the way, is that you are wonderful and amazing and perfectly designed to live the exact life you desire. To do that though, the mask has to come off. We instinctively know this, which is why so many of us spend so much time and money in search of self. Yet few actually find it because we live in a society where everyone is encouraged to focus on the external world and to measure worth through the feedback we get from others; and from the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, the house we live in, the size of our income, etc.
Most people have a skewed view of their self (strengths, abilities, motivations, energizers, limitations, beliefs, blinders, values, etc.) and the skewing is rarely in our favor until we become aware of our authentic self. It is at that point that true transformations occur - real magic. I have seen it happen thousands of times and it is always a wonderful thing to behold. People can go from lost and confused to focused and free almost in the blink of an eye as a result of discovering their authentic self.
To build the first insulator and sustain it, we must know who we are authentically and we must have the courage to live our truth. Until we have those, we are simply "faking" our way through life.
There are four things you need to acquire this essential insulator:
1) Self-awareness -- If you are not delighted with who you are, the odds are very high that you are identifying with a false mask. One of the most valuable things you will ever do in your life is to remove it and discover your authenticity.
2) Healthy Personal Boundaries -- Healthy personal boundaries develop when we are clear about who we genuinely are and who we are not, and when we know what we will and will not accept from self and others. Without solid personal boundaries, the opinions of others will dictate the direction your moods, which can adversely affect your actions and your outcomes.
3) Self-confidence -- Believing that you are capable of accomplishing the things you want to accomplish. You are because nature never gives us a legitimate desire without also giving us the ability to fulfill it.
4) Self-esteem -- Knowing that you are worth the time and effort necessary to assure your happiness and well being (no matter how great that might be) to have the life you desire.
All four of these are rooted in self-knowledge. If we are focused on external events, we cannot know the constancy of our authentic self, which we can only discover in our internal world. It is just about impossible to have faith in anything that is unclear and out of focus, including ourselves.
The easy thing to do is to let others tell us what a great life should look like and there are plenty of "gurus" out there all too willing to do that. But the easy way is rarely the right way when it comes to designing the life we want.
In the midst of a worldwide recession, working on your insulators can be your very best investment. Begin with building confidence and faith in yourself. Self-confidence is the key to moving through life courageously, and courage is the key to greatness. Developing a strong, healthy sense of self is a priceless gift that only you can give to yourself. And once you have it, no one can ever take it from you.
To be happy, successful and truly abundant, you need to be willing to explore the depths of your being. It is there that you will find the miracle and the magic of the real you.
Take the time to discover your authentic self. This is critical to your long-term success.
If you are still searching, you may want to investigate the CORE Multidimensional Awareness Profile (CORE MAP). It is an amazing tool that is literally a map to the core of your being - your authentic self. It is the only assessment I know of specifically designed to get past the masks of conditioning, help people discover who they came into the world to be and how effectively natural traits and abilities have been developed.
Until you have faith in yourself and your ability to create the life you want, the other two insulators will be weak and the flow of energy frequently interrupted due to the stressors and resistors you will constantly bump up against.
Nothing you do in life will be more important than developing faith in yourself. It is the source of the confidence and self-esteem that is essential to every success. Let go of false beliefs (especially those that produce fear, guilt and/or shame) and you will discover that there is nothing more fascinating than self-discovery, and nothing more beneficial.
Life is a dynamic system and in such a system nothing remains the same. We are either growing or declining. Consciously and purposefully choose growth.
Live Abundantly!
Sherry
