A Picture Says 1000 Words (literally, in my case)

When I meet with people one-on-one I always end up drawing something similar to the picture below to help communicate the message of the overall path. From there, I show them how to drop their particular situation into the diagram in order to begin working their way out of the frustration they feel.

Any situation can be understood through the process depicted above so long as you’re willing to open up to a new way of perceiving and handling the situation.

The basis for this pictorial representation of the inner journey stems from one of the most powerful statements (to me) from A Course in Miracles: Those who see themselves as whole make no demands.

Notice that the statement does not say “those who are whole make no demands”…instead, is says “those who see themselves as whole make no demands”.

The use of the phrase “those who see themselves as whole” is a direct reference to our perception of wholeness versus a statement on whether or not we are whole.

This implies that we are whole regardless of our perception of this state.

Therefore, the inner journey is one of correcting errors in our perception…it’s not one of adding to our current state in order to attain a state of wholeness.

This.is.a.crucial.distinction.

One implies it’s only our perception that’s in need of healing, whereas the other implies that something is actually missing and must be gained in order to know wholeness.

One heals the error in our perception and the other sends us on a wild goose chase in hopes that we find what it is we assume is missing.

When we recognize that we’re working with a perception of incompleteness (versus an actual physical state of incompleteness), we can begin to look at our particular frustration through a new lens…one that sees the frustration as stemming from a perception (of something missing) in need of healing.

Recognizing that it’s a perception in need of healing versus a physical search for wholeness, puts us on the path of inner healing (as depicted in the picture above).

Now, instead of constantly searching for solutions within ego’s realm of thinking (operating from the right-side of the diagram only), we’ve placed a divine mirror on the situation (the statement concerning wholeness from A Course in Miracles), such that we can begin to work our way out of ego’s thinking to truth.

All frustration and conflict stems from the belief that we are somehow incomplete. Without recognizing this as a perception in need of healing, we’re pulled by the fear that stems from this belief in incompleteness.

This fear (stemming from a belief in lack) leads us to search for security (fulfillment + salvation) outside of ourselves. The purpose of this search is to feel whole. However, instead of following the path of inner healing (as depicted above), we’re caught in the external chase for security (fulfillment + salvation).

This external search occurs through placing demands and expectations on things in our external environment to fulfill us, whether it’s the pursuit of personal goals (fulfillment through achievement) or placing demands on others to meet our personal requirements for peace like needing a significant other to “complete” us or needing others to stop doing things that irritate us.

Demands and expectations can take many different shapes and forms…all are false attempts to know wholeness through ego’s definition of peace, fulfillment, security and salvation.

When we’re only operating from the right side of the diagram, we think we’re something that can be added to or chipped away from. We believe we only gain by another person’s loss or lose by another person’s gain.

In this state, we believe we’re living in a threatening world and act accordingly…

The act of giving and sharing, either physically or emotionally, feels threatening because it’s perceived as a reduction of our own stature. Something as simple as complimenting another can feel as if you’re giving away some of your own power.

Telling another that you care about them (especially a significant other since the perceived loss is really high) feels vulnerable because you perceive not having it returned in equal measure as a loss to the stature you’ve become identified with.

The purpose of bringing in the left side of the diagram is to show us that what we are can never be added to or taken away from. In recognizing this, we let go of our identification with “the stature” that believes things can be added to or taken away from it.

In letting go of our identification with that stature (or separated self), the world can no longer be threatening. Fear (ego) is no longer running the show. Love is.

And when we consciously know that we’re love, the only thing to do is to extend it without needing it (or anything else) to come back to us.

The purpose (goal + objective) of the path of inner healing is to be and extend love.

Every situation we experience can be used to bring about this state of love…we just have to choose to use our experiences for this express purpose.

To living from the left-side of the diagram!

Shanna

P.S. If anyone feels moved to turn my rudimentary drawing into a proper info graphic, I’d love to share it with the community as something that could be printed out and easily referenced. I really believe doing so could serve all of us in our inner journey. If you’ve got these skills and wanna help, please email me at shanna@shannacovey.com. Thanks!