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Self-Evaluation of Seven Basic Beliefs Underlying Your Perceptions of Life – Part 4 of 7: Inner Power

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Sandra Brossman

This is the image of a young woman on a beach at sunrise with her arms open feeling joyful and empowered

Welcome to Part 4 of a 7 part series in which you are invited to become aware of the Basic Beliefs Underlying Your Perceptions of Life! Even more importantly, you are offered the opportunity to transform your self-limiting beliefs of separation and fear into self-empowering beliefs of oneness and unconditional love.

Our basic beliefs are the fundamental concepts we have formed about ourselves and the world around us, based on the mental input we have received throughout our lives. They are the underlying thought forms deep within our psyche that support all our views of life. Our basic beliefs have a profound impact on the quality of our lives because they are the core of our personal values governing absolutely every perception we choose.

Many of our basic beliefs generate self-limiting thoughts because they are framed within our childhood perspectives, rooted in societal training, and do not reflect our whole self.

This week I invite you to become aware of your beliefs about your INNER POWER. “Power” is a word that generates unease within many of us. This is because when we think of “power,” we typically think of “power over,” not “power within.” If we are stuck in the “power over” belief system, we are subscribing to the illusion that we can control others or that others can control us. Depending on our personalities, we may be acting out the aggressive side of this belief system in subtle ways, such as criticism and judgment or, more aggressively, through overt attack and intimidation. If we are acting out the passive side of the “power over” model, we may tend to withhold our affection, attention, or approval of people in an attempt to get them to act in ways that conform with our expectations. Holding the belief that power means we have control over others is a perception of separation and fear that is bound to perpetuate many choices that are hurtful to ourselves and others.

Inner power, on the other hand, is the creative energy of universal love that is seated within the heart of every human being. While we each have a human body, we also have a personal soul connection to the energy of Spirit, which is unconditional, formless, unlimited infinite potential. Every one of us has the capability of tapping into this universal field of love every moment of every day through meditation, prayer, and mindfully choosing perceptions of love and oneness throughout our everyday lives. Remembering that we each have access to the oneness of spirit is extremely self-empowering because it provides us with an indomitable sense of inner stability regardless of outward circumstances.

The following is a Self-Evaluation of Your Beliefs About Your Inner Power. As you scan through the questions, simply ask yourself, “Do I relate to the statements of Separation, or do I relate to the statements of Oneness? The perceptions of separation correspond with fear and lock us into self-defeating behaviors, while the perceptions of oneness resonate with our spiritual truth of unconditional universal love and open us to our greater potential.

It is best to trust your immediate, spontaneous responses to these questions. When we analyze ourselves and deliberate over the answers, we run the risk of falling into the trap of self-judgment rather than pure awareness.

Remember, this evaluation is not an exercise in self-criticism, nor does it involve judgment of others. It is merely a tool to shed the light of self-awareness on the foundation of beliefs upon which we base our view points of life.

BASIC BELIEF #4 – INNER POWER

Do I believe that I have the power to create changes within my life, based on the perceptions I choose?

Separation: Believing that one does not have the power to choose personal perceptions and that thoughts and actions have no energy or impact on anyone; or believing one has the power to change other people.

Oneness: Having awareness and profound respect for one’s ability to direct divine energy through the power of thought; believing in personal inner power to create changes within one’s personal reality.

Which statements do I most relate to – Separation or Oneness?

Where does this belief originate? (I.e. parents, family culture, religion)

Is this my own personal truth now that I am an adult?

DO I CHOOSE TO CHANGE THIS BELIEF?

The following are affirmations to transform your perceptions of separation and fear into affirmations of oneness and unconditional love:

Feeling of Separation: Life’s a game – I’ve got to stay on top.
Affirmation of Oneness: I choose treat myself and others with kindness and respect.

Feeling of Separation: I am telling you this for your own good.
Affirmation of Oneness: I choose to help others by being a compassionate listener and setting a good example with my own life.

Feeling of Separation: I’ll tell you what’s wrong with you . . .
Affirmation of Oneness: I am open to seeing the spiritual goodness in all people.

Feeling of Separation: I want you to change.
Affirmation of Oneness: I am aware that the only person I have the power to change is myself.

Feeling of Separation: You should . . .
Affirmation of Oneness: I choose to release all judgment and criticism of myself and others.

Remember: Every single belief that you have stored into your brain is the result of constant repetition that has come from yourself – as well as from others. YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR BELIEFS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF AFFIRMATIONS. It does not matter whether you initially believe your affirmations. Affirmations are a mental stretch moving toward spiritual truth. With enough repetition, you will come to believe your affirmations of oneness.

Affirmations help us to develop the habit of consistent, positive self-dialogue. By making a commitment to the ongoing practice of repeating affirmations of self-love, you have the power to transform your self-deprecating beliefs about yourself into self-respecting perceptions that reflect the truth of your oneness with spirit and universal love.

Keep practicing – you have the power to heal your life!

I welcome any questions or insights you would like to share regarding your self-discovery process as you become conscious of your beliefs about your inner power.

Love and Light

Sandra

A portion of this message is an excerpt from the book, The Power of Oneness, Live the Life You Choose. To learn more about how you can align your life with spiritual truth, order the book at http://www.thepowerofoneness.com/products/

The Aftereffects of Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Sandra Brossman

Why does everyone make such a big deal out of Valentine’s Day?

“Whew!” You tell yourself. I made it through another Valentine’s Day. What is this holiday all about anyway, and why does everyone have to make such a big deal out of it? With so many singles out there it is not like we need reminders of all those happy couples out there doing all that romantic stuff with each other! Or, you may be thinking that all this sappy stuff is silly now that you have been married for so long.

Why did I react the way I did this year?

It is kind of funny though, how you can catch yourself automatically criticizing something just to make yourself feel better. If you hate Valentine’s Day and what it stands for, does that mean you are either dissatisfied with your current relationship – feeling alone even though you are with someone? Or, have you had so much difficulty connecting with another person that you deride others for being able to make such connections? If you are having difficulty in your current relationship or if you have difficulty being in a relationship, you may want to ask yourself why you have such difficulty loving another. Have you really taken the time to explore your relationship with YOU? My guess is that you have not.

This is an image of a broken heart with a bandaid

How weird, right? You may be saying at this moment, “Yeah…let me stop everything and take time to have a relationship with myself!” Well, actually, yes – please do!!! So many people have asked me, “Why am I alone?” or “Why do I feel so alone?” The answer can be found within – I promise you.

Have you really made yourself available to another person?

If you are single and would like to be with a significant other, ask what steps have you taken to get out there and meet people? Or, more importantly, ask yourself if you are in a good place to bring another into your life. Perhaps you have filled up your life so much with other stuff that there is no room for anything or anyone else. It is amazing how energy works. Stuffing your life with so many things puts out there that you are too busy and that loving another isn’t a priority in your life. Providing the space to clear your head, your heart, and your life to be open to receive the love from another is an important first step.

Would you want to date you?

Another important component is being healthy within before you look outside yourself for another to be in your life. In many cases we look for another to “complete” us when in all actuality you are already a beautiful, unique, complete being! Often we look to another to “fix” us. The familiar words, “If only I had a man or woman in my life that…I would be happy,” somehow don’t end up working out quite like that. We might find a person who makes us happy initially, but that tends to fizzle out once we got our quick “fix.”

Lonely but not alone?

This is an image of a sad and lonely persian cat

For those couples out there who may have had a less than romantic Valentine’s Day, ask what is it about your relationship where you no longer are honoring each other? It is so easy to take another for granted, especially after being together for a long time. But, ask yourself how would you feel if that person were no longer there? PAY ATTENTION to your body’s physical response to this question! Do you feel anxious, scared, sad, relieved?

Have you lost yourself and your own personal power to your partner?

If you feel anxious or scared, is it because this person “takes care of you” and you wouldn’t know how to live on your own? If so, perhaps you may want to evaluate whether you or your partner has come to resent this dynamic. Have you lost yourself and your own personal power to your partner? Often these underlying issues can cause the chemistry that brought you together to come to a screeching halt! Talk with your partner; find out where their head is. It could be that a 5 minute conversation could turn into an hour of pure pleasure that you thought wasn’t possible before!

When was the last time you said, “I love you?”

If you feel sad, could it be that you deeply love and care for your partner and the thought of them not being in your life almost makes you feel ill? If so, and you feel disconnected from this person, what have you done lately to let them know how deeply you care for them? Perhaps this separation you feel comes from them thinking you don’t feel the same about them. Again, a 5 minute conversation could turn an old relationship into something new again. Don’t wait for him or her to say, “I love you.” Taking initiative in a relationship is important – and you might just shock your partner – in a good way!

Do you need to get out?

If you feel relieved, it could be time for you to move on from an unhealthy or unfulfilling relationship. This also goes back to making space in your life to receive love. Staying in a relationship that no longer fulfills you isn’t good for the partner you are with either. If you can no longer give love to this person, it is in their best interest for you to move on as well. Once you are on your own and have healed from this relationship, really get to know yourself and get on stable footing before seeking another partner. Otherwise, you may tend to repeat the same dynamic you had before. Make sure to reflect on the lesson(s) you needed to learn from the relationship you had been in – this is crucial for your emotional growth so that you bring a healthy, stable, and empowered YOU into a new relationship!

It’s all an illusion!

Remember that, loneliness, after all, is just a perception. You are never truly alone. You are always surrounded by the unconditional love of the universe. Remembering this will fill your heart and allow you the space to reflect on the love you have for YOU and that special person in your life…or that special person who may be about to enter your life!

Love and Light,

Sandra

No Time for Yourself? You May Be Living From The Outside-In

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Sandra Brossman

We live in a busy world filled with enormous demands for our time and energy. Whether it be keeping up with a job, juggling the responsibilities of parenting, learning new technology, or simply plugging through our own to-do lists, most people are feeling there are just not enough hours in the day for the necessities. Time for pleasure? Fat chance. Simply stated: Most of us are on overload.

There is a simple explanation, yet understanding what it means takes a bit more reflection. It means we mold our lives to fit within the context of expectations of our outer physical world. We are reactive to circumstances instead of creating our own realities. In other words, we live from the Outside-In.

This is an image of a woman trapped inside a box.

Some of the signs that you may be playing this out in your own life:

You spend most of your energy reacting to the demands of others
You define yourself by what other people think of you and your possessions
You neglect your own needs in order to take care of everyone else’s
You make decisions that are not in accord with your own inner values because you worry how others will react
You ignore your need to create the time and space to regenerate yourself

Changing the basis of your life from the model of Living From the Outside-In to the healthier foundation of Living From the Inside-Out may be easier than you think. First and foremost, it requires a major change of perception. When you change how you perceive life, everything around you changes because your external reality is a projection of your own thoughts.

How can you transition to living from the Inside-Out? Begin to prioritize self-respect and spiritual values, rather than recognition, power, and approval from the physical world. When you begin to live from the Inside-Out, you’ll start to notice:

You spend your energy to create what you want
You recognize yourself as a spiritual being living in a physical world
You honor your own needs, which then empowers you to help others
You make decisions that are based on your inner values, with less emphasis on how they are received
You make self-nurturing and regeneration a priority

Why wait? Follow these four suggestions to begin living from the Inside-Out:

1) Get up about 15 minutes earlier than usual and start your day quietly in ways that make you feel internally motivated, such as meditation, inspirational readings, or just breathing deeply and staring into space. This is your “me” time. If you’re not a morning person, this can be done before bed.

2) Start listening to your Intuition – When you get those flashes of imagination and gut level feelings, don’t analyze them – just allow them. These are message from your soul to your mind.

3) Spend time in nature, engaging as many of your senses as possible. This can often help you to achieve inner silence by showing appreciation for the beauty around you.

4) Write down a vision of the things you would love to see in your life. Do not judge whether it is feasible or possible. Just allow yourself to dream and imagine.

While doing these exercises will not change your life overnight, practicing any one or all of of them will begin to shift your focus. In moving from reaction to action, you may rise above a world filled with stress to finally create the inner space of peace that you truly deserve.

Love and Light,

Sandra