The most important relationship we have in our lives is with our selves. And even though we are the only ones who are present at every moment of our lives from birth onward this relationship can be the most difficult one to cultivate. This may be because society places such emphasis on the importance of being in a romantic partnership, even teaching us to set aside our own needs for the needs of another. Until we know ourselves, however, we cannot possibly choose the right relationship to support our mutual growth toward our highest potential. By allowing ourselves to be comfortable with being alone, we can become the people with whom we want to have a relationship.

Life is so much more simple than most humans realize. It is not this journey that must be conquered, that must be understood. It is a journey that must be lived, only lived in the present moment day-to-day, here and now. And in the entirety of each moment, there may be feelings from the past, feelings from the future, all kinds of emotions that cannot be explained by the mind. Feeling and allowing those emotions is part of the living, part of the being.

Effective meditation means to gather the positive resources of the inner self & then use them in the outer world. It is important to remain neither too much inside, nor too much outside, but constantly to create a balance between the inner & outer realities. Meditation resembles the cyclic path of energy: going from the inside out & then from the outside in, gathering information, or experiences that we need to reflect on, or understand better. On other occasions, it may be a question of recharging our minds with positivity & peace: we go inside and, with the practice of silence, the battery becomes re-energized.

The one who has constant positive thoughts is the one who experiences success. Expression: Success means to reach to such a constant level of positive thoughts that right actions happen naturally. There is such concern for actions today that success is ensured for the future. There is an expression of inner specialties & virtues at every step & with every action. Experience: When I am able to maintain a constant stage of positivity, I am able to experience constant success. Whatever the situations may be they don't influence me negatively. On the contrary I begin to see each new situation as a beautiful learning that enriches me and makes me move forward.

It is amazing how often we can get in our own way without even being aware that we are doing so. Even though we truly want to succeed, there are many reasons why we may sometimes block our own efforts. It may be that we are afraid to succeed, so we subconsciously create circumstances to keep ourselves stuck. Or it may even be that we are afraid that we will succeed, so we block ourselves by making the achievement of our goals more difficult than they really are. We may even approach our goals in a way that keeps creating the same unsuccessful results. If you believe that you’ve been standing in your own way, you may want to take a piece of paper & record how you’ve done so. Write down the choices you’ve made that have hindered your efforts & the fears that may have prompted you to make these decisions. Take note of any thoughts & feelings that arise. It is important to be gentle & compassionate during this process. Try not to blame yourself for getting in your own way. Remember the choices we make always are there to serve us, until it is time to let them go. When you are finished, throw the paper away while setting an intention that you are getting rid of any obstacles you’ve created to block yourself. You can then let yourself start again with a clean slate. Doubts & fears are going to be natural, but with this new awareness, you should be able to prevent yourself from subconsciously thwarting yourself. Besides, now that you’ve decided to get out of your own way, the part of you that has always wanted to succeed can now do so.

The next time you find yourself wanting to react, try to pause & in that pause, take a deep breath. Feel your feet on the floor, the air on your skin & listen for a response to arise within you, rather than just going with the first thing that pops into your head. You may find that in that moment, there is the potential to move beyond reaction and into the more subtle & creative realm of response, where something new can happen.

Whenever people come into our lives, they have come for a reason, to show us something about ourselves that we have not been able to see. When unhealthy people try to hook us into their patterns with mind games & power trips, we can remind ourselves that we have something to learn here & that a part of us is calling out for healing. This takes the focus off the troubling individual & puts it back on us, giving us the opportunity to change the situation from the inside out.