It’s a little-known secret that our experience of life in any given moment is a direct reflection of what we actually value in that same moment. We may deny this unsettling truth, but when it comes to what we are in relationship with, inwardly and outwardly, actions speak louder than words—and, seen or not, all actions are a choice of one kind or another.
Nothing in the universe can make us choose to act against ourselves, as in when we consort with self-compromising negative states. Living in sorrow, with anger, or awash in regrets is a consensual affair. These dark states never dance alone; they must have a partner to produce their pain, which brings us to this good news: we are released from the dark embrace of any unhappy thought or feeling in the same moment we see that we’ve been tricked into dancing that troubled tango.
Use the following five insights to help you choose higher self-awareness as your new partner in life, and watch how effortless it becomes to start giving yourself what you really want.
• When you want peace within yourself more than you want to feel agitated over unwanted events taking place around you, then you will know the serenity for which you long.
• When you want to be at ease with yourself around friends and strangers alike more than you want that uneasy feeling that comes with fawning to win their approval, then you will know the quiet self-command for which you long.
• When you want to be patient with others more than you want to feel frustrated over their inability to please you, then you will know the forbearance for which you long.
• When you want authority over yourself more than you want the conflict that comes with trying to control others’ behavior, then you will know the command for which you long.
• When you want to share in the fullness of the present moment more than you want the sinking feeling that you’re missing out on life, then you will know the unshakable sense of wholeness for which you long.