We find it natural to seek relief from the world around us, a world appearing to be one stronghold atop another of stressful conditions and anxiety-producing events. Accordingly, we seek relief from these contentment-crushing states by struggling to change those circumstances we see as being responsible for their cause.

Think of all the ways we’ve attempted to escape those unwanted pressures we find ourselves feeling. But experience tells another story. The more we struggle to change or escape these stressful states of ours, the only thing that really seems to change is the “new” conditions we now see as being the cause of our stress! And it must continue in this way until we realize the truth of one central idea; a realization that leads to our release: What we actually need is not new forms of relief (from these perceived stressful places in our lives) but to be released from our own unconscious nature that is secretly creating the stress we’ve been blaming on situations outside of ourselves.

Let’s examine this inner-discovery using different terms. Stress, and all of its negative relatives, including impatience, anxiety, frustration, and anger, are the self-wrecking effects of first seeing, and then embracing, a false or incomplete view of reality imposed upon us by our own unenlightened nature.

The good news is that the stress-producing self that thrives in this inner-shadowland disappears when the lights come on. And this is precisely our task, to bring much-needed Light into our developing consciousness. As we do, all of the conflict-creating creatures hiding therein have no choice but to depart. Inner victory comes in proportion to the amount of inner Light brought to bear. And since there’s no end to this healing Light, there’s no end to how bright — and free — our destiny can be.