Breaking Free of the Bounds of Reality

Whose version of reality are you living? Yours? Mine? Theirs?

I believe one of the most important things for human beings to realize is that nothing real exists. Reality is but a set of choices by which we experience life. Simply speaking, if my belief system differs from yours then what you consider reality/truth is different from mine. This means there are no absolutes when it comes to experience. It means we are always choosing what is real for us through a series of decisions. What is right for you may not be right for me. What is true for me, may not be true for you. Our perceptions lead to our beliefs, and our beliefs create our reality. When we see life this way, we realize we always have the power to change our reality by transforming our beliefs.

We live in a Universe of unconditional support. It is constantly drawing experiences to us that mirror our beliefs. The Universe is a magnet that attracts like-beliefs to like-experiences. Therefore, in order for us to change our experiences, we must start by changing our beliefs. To do that, we must examine both our inner worlds and our outer worlds. Our inner world holds our beliefs about ourselves, while our outer world is made of the beliefs of society, our parents, our significant others and all other individuals.

Inner world
What kinds of words do we say to ourselves? Do we say kind and loving things to ourselves or do we beat ourselves up over our actions, second guess our talents, and wonder if we are worthy? Do we believe we are in control of our experience or do we give away our power to others?

As human beings we tend to grow up believing that things are out of our control. Since we were little, we learned to look around when we felt bad to see where we can point a finger of blame. Was it my brother's fault that I got hurt? Was it the chair's fault that I got bruised? Was it my father's fault that I was upset? Was it my sister's fault that I didn't get noticed? It was always someone or something's fault that we didn't feel good or couldn't get what we wanted. Blaming others and ourselves is one way humans give away control over their world and their feelings. When we blame another person for our feelings, we tell ourselves we cannot change how we feel unless that person changes what they do. When we blame ourselves for being inadequate, we excuse ourselves from having power over how we feel in life. But none of this is true. All power lies with us and all change starts the moment we decide.

Outer world
The constructs of reality in which we live aren't always ours alone. In order to change our lives and experiences for the better, we must also take inventory of our outer world. Have you asked yourself whose version of reality you are living right now? Yours? Your parents'? Your spouse's? Your teacher's? Whenever we interact with or listen to another human being, that person projects his or her version of reality onto us - this includes their fears as well as their highest hopes and dreams.

As children, we took in our parents' and other people's beliefs and allowed certain circumstances to harm us or feed us with insecurities. But today we are adults. Adults own the power to their lives. We have the power to erase lackluster beliefs that we allowed and accepted as our truths. Adults can do things what they as children could not. We can determine what to believe about ourselves starting right now. As Louise Hay says, "When we know better, we do better." If our beliefs have the power to draw whatever experiences we desire, imagine the wonderful things we can draw to our lives. When we realize the power our beliefs have over our reality, we begin to fathom the magnitudes of which we are capable. We can begin seeing ourselves as limitless beings, full of pure potential.

Where to begin?
The simplest way to begin changing our realities is by taking inventory of the types of thoughts that we think about ourselves. Are they negative? Are they positive? Do they affirm what we desire? Or do they keep us focused on the undesirable experiences? A simple change of thoughts from the negative to the positive can do a world of good to how we feel and can begin to attract the type of life we desire. By doing this, we begin contributing to the cycle of change. We not only affect our experience, but we affect the experience of those around us.

It's really that simple. We have to begin to detach from our own beliefs of lack by shifting our realities to encompass beliefs of love, support, abundance, and self-worth. Nothing is set in stone. Reality is in constant flux. It is always being created by our belief system. So what's stopping us from creating a positive reality?

Remember: Everything you choose to believe as real, you in turn experience. Change your beliefs and you change everything.

Putting it into Practice:
Whenever you feel yourself experiencing something less than lustrous, such as an undesirable job, an unsatisfying love life, or any obstacles, ask yourself:

1. What have I believed to be real that is drawing this experience to me right now? (A good place to start is a self-worth inventory)

2. What would I like to change my belief to in order to experience a more desirable outcome?

3. How can I begin sharing my new belief with the world?

Not only does what we send around come back around, but the more we act on our beliefs, the more they become a way of life. And also, why would we not want to help another human being feel good? It feels so much better than helping a human being feel bad. Try it. Be the change you seek and share it with others. Let love be your guide. Dream as big as you can dream for how good you want to feel. Put it on paper and start seeing yourself as a limitless being, full of potential and light.