All Changes Begin Within
I want to share a couple of examples of situations where it seemed there was an external change that needed to happen, but really the change needed to come from within. We really do have that much power…to effect change externally by changing within. But we will get to that later.
A few years ago, I played a major role in breakthrough events every month. Many times I'd be standing in the back of the room, and somebody would walk up to me and rub their shoulders up next to me and say, "I just want to be in your space…I just wanted to feel your energy." It was then that I realized that there is an energy that emanates from each of us. Sometimes that energy is 'stay away.' Sometimes that energy is 'come hither and rub on my shoulder…get some of that positive energy.' We really do have a lot of power to change situations simply by offering our energy. I know a lot of people who are empathic. They feel the energy of other people. They feel the emotions of other people. But even if we're not empathic, if that's not a specific gift that we have, we all have a spirit within us that radiates. We can affect change around us by changing some of that energy.
Specifically, I wanted to share a couple of examples. I have discovered over the years that we are mirrors for each other. I have an acquaintance with foster children living in her home. She was really frustrated that these foster children were acting out because they felt unloved and unsafe. Make note of those two words: unloved and hazardous. As I talked with this acquaintance, I learned a little bit more about her. In her situation within herself, I found that her two most prominent beliefs about herself were that she was unloved and unsafe. I helped point out to her that there was a connection between how her children were feeling and how she was feeling. The energy that she was emanating out was energy of unloved and unsafe. Not that she caused her foster children to be acting out, but definitely there was an energetic attraction for those particular children to be attracted into her home where they would feel comfortable being unsafe and unloved or, at the very least, feeling that energy of unsafe and loved. The energy was there in the home. When you feel a certain way, when you have a belief about yourself, you have to create an environment that matches. Otherwise you're uncomfortable.
For two years I taught the Prime for Life class through the Utah County Jail for all of the ankle monitor people who were out on parole. They were court ordered to attend my class once a week. I sometimes had guest speakers come in. One speaker was a recovered addict. He grew up in a trailer where everybody was violent and angry all the time. They didn't have a really positive family. In fact, they had a very negative family situation.
He had a friend whose family was very different. They were churchgoers. They sat down and ate dinner with each other every night. During dinner, they would discuss the happenings of the day. They interacted in a very positive way. One night the mother invited this young man to stay for dinner. He sat down at dinner, and the whole time he was so uncomfortable; he said he was vibrating inside. He was forcing himself to sit there at the table when all he wanted to do was get up and run screaming from the house because it was so uncomfortable. Even though it was a super positive environment, it was really uncomfortable. It was awkward because he was used to an environment of violence. Whatever situation is happening within us, we have this energetic attraction to want to be with and rub shoulders with people who have like energy…energy that we resonate with.
Back to the example that I shared about the mother that had the foster children in her home. After I could point out to her that she felt unloved and unsafe within herself, I said, "These children are the perfect children to be in your home. They are your teachers. You are not serving these children. They are serving you. They're being your mentors. As you start working on yourself and begin to feel safe and loved within your own body, within your own life, then you will affect the change." If we change the energetic attraction, that energy we emanate out, it cannot be any other way. What we feel inside…other people feel that too.
She was just an acquaintance. She wasn't a client of mine. So I have not heard back about what the outcome was. But hopefully, she took that to heart. Hopefully, she was able to make the change within herself. At the very least, if she feels safe and loved within her own body, within her own mind, within her own heart, then regardless of what is happening in the family situation, she's going to feel at peace within her own body, within her own mind.
I was thinking about the holidays and of how this applies. One of the statements that we hear a lot of times at Christmas is peace on earth and goodwill toward men. This is an outward thing that we look at. I wish there were peace on earth. I wish there was goodwill toward men…out there. I wish the world would be at peace. But when we look within ourselves, maybe there's something that we can change within ourselves so we can be more at peace…in here. We can have more goodwill toward men, toward our family, toward people in general, toward the world, toward whatever, whoever…Jesus called them our neighbors.
The exercise that I invite us to do today is to take a moment and look within ourselves. Find where within yourself; maybe you are a little bit out of peace…not at peace, a little bit of where we have no good will towards men. 'Men' can mean anything. It could mean your spouse, it could mean your kids; it could mean people in the government. It could mean anything…strife around the world, wars going on, or whatever…wherever we don't feel good will toward someone. Jot down the ideas that come to you. You're going to leave this exercise with some new insight into how you can change within yourself to affect change externally, to create an effect of peace and goodwill toward man in the world for this holiday season. Now, take a deep breath, close your eyes and listen with your mind and heart.
Again, this is partnering with God. This is an opportunity for us to really connect with your God, to be open to what He can show us right now that maybe has been a blind spot for ourselves. We have wanted change in the world, but we have not started with ourselves. Connecting with God right now, visualizing and inviting His energy, His power, His spirit to come down and rub shoulders with us.
Allow His thoughts to permeate your mind, your body, your heart, and be one with Him…to be one with His spirit, with the Holy Spirit, and be open to His inspiration. One more deep breath. With this idea of wishing for peace on earth and goodwill toward men, just for this moment, envision that God has the power to create that. That tomorrow, or even today we could wake up from this meditation to find there is peace on earth and goodwill toward me. Envision and believe right now at this moment, accept that it could be possible. That instantaneously, we could have peace on earth, goodwill towards men. We know God is capable of it. Believe it. Take one more deep breath.
Allow that feeling of peace and goodwill toward men that we know God could create in an instant if He chose to. Feel that feeling of peace and goodwill toward men within your own body, your own heart, your own mind. Now that the world is at peace and there's goodwill toward all, what is something that feels out of place, that's out of alignment within you that now doesn't match up with this feeling of peace and goodwill toward men in the world? What needs to change within yourself so that you can go out in the world and feel comfortable, to feel like you fit in this world that now operates with peace and goodwill?
If there is a scenario that pops to mind, maybe a situation that's happened this week or something that's going on right now that you are feeling a little stressed about…a person or the world in general, that is God giving you guidance. Those are specific instances where you have created a little bit of un-peace, un-rest, un-goodwill in your own heart.These feelings of unrest are the result of a belief that you have within yourself. Be open to know what that belief is about yourself or a belief about the world, a belief about people, a belief about peace. Changing that belief is what needs to happen within yourself so that you can be comfortable in a world that is at peace and that has good will toward men.
When you're doing your Daily GPS on a daily basis, you're going to uncover limiting beliefs about yourself. There's a Permission Process that I teach that helps you to alleviate those limiting beliefs. I'm going to share a shortened yet equally effective process with you called Permission Process Twist. It's a super easy, super quick, super short process. You can utilize that Permission Process Twist with these beliefs and the feelings associated with it that you have discovered today…the thought that you've discovered within yourself is out of alignment with the idea of having peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Try that Permission Process Twist by going to this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR1dXa8gcvs.
I celebrate with you as you begin to have more peace and goodwill within yourself.
