“Your true nature is that of infinite spirit.
The feeling of limitation is the work of the mind.”
~ Ramana Maharshi
“I can’t do it,” “I’m too damaged,” “I’ll fail,” “I’m a loser.”
Do you believe self-defeating thoughts like these that tell you something is wrong with you?
Do you feel inadequate, broken, or unlovable?
These painful thoughts and feelings become your reality, leading to hidden shame, struggles in relationships, and a life not fully lived.
But what if these thoughts don’t accurately describe you?
What if every single thought you think about yourself and everyone else isn’t absolutely true?
Consider the negative thoughts, the self-sabotaging ones, the ones that leave you empty and downtrodden…the very familiar thoughts that seem so real to you.
What if they just aren’t true?
These harsh and limiting ways of defining ourselves are the result of conclusions we drew about ourselves when we were young. This is how a child’s mind works:
- Your mother criticizes you? You conclude you’re unworthy.
- Your father neglects to give you love and attention? You conclude you’re unlovable.
- You’re made to feel unimportant? You conclude you don’t matter.
From a young age, our personal identities take shape. We mistakenly believe we’re limited, inadequate, and doomed to suffer, and carry these self-definitions throughout our lives and into adulthood. And the ripple effects are far-reaching.
But thoughts don’t have to define our reality. Prior to all of thoughts, prior to any experiences or history or interactions, who are you?
Take off all the masks you wear…shed the ideas that cling to you, and what remains?
Here you are…undeniably present…fresh and open…infinitely expansive…overflowing with life-giving potential. You’re innocent and free.
You begin to notice that beliefs you hold about yourself come and go. That’s why they can’t be trusted to tell the truth about who you are. And you come to know that you’re much happier without them.
Lose interest in these long-held beliefs telling you you’re not good enough every time they arise. Don’t think them or reinforce them with your attention.
And what do you notice? The ever-present aliveness of your true nature that is already whole, peaceful, and primed for joy.
Like a miracle, you find the amazing possibility of being liberated from outdated stories that have suppressed your light. And your everyday life expands into this newfound freedom in delightful and surprising ways.