"The kingdom of heaven is within you."

 

We've heard this so many times but what does it really mean? For me this statement has meant that in order to become fulfilled you have to continually look within yourself. And I believe that to be very true, the more I look at my own beliefs and behaviors, or the more I become aware of the why and how of what I do, the more my life continues to improve. I no longer believe heaven is a place I'm going to, I believe it is a state of being we can all experience in the NOW once we lay down all of the limiting beliefs we've picked up unconsciously through our upbringing, social conditioning, experiences, culture, etc.

 

The Aramaic translation of "The kingdom of heaven is within you" has been brought to my attention lately. Aramaic was the native tongue of Jesus. The translation interpreted it as follows "The domain or power of 'I Can' is within you."

 

I've been looking at my beliefs a lot lately. I've discovered that all self improvement strategies only work if they actually get you to change what you believe about yourself. Change only occurs when beliefs change. Yet most of us rarely look at what we believe, nor do we conciously make efforts to change what we believe. Most of us just accept limiting ideas as truth. As I've been going through this quest of identifying what I actually believe opposed to what I "think" I should believe I realized some disturbing thoughts. In the areas of my life that I desire the most change the core belief that keeps coming up when I'm journaling is "I can't blah blah blah."  Ugh.

 

So this statement of "The power of 'I Can'  is within you" has taken on a whole new level of inspiration.

The message for me is:  Even if I may still carry some unconscious beliefs that tell me I'm not capable, worthy, etc....the belief that "I CAN" still lives on beneath all that crap!!

 

They say that enlightenment truly is a process of letting go and at our core we are perfect. It is also said that we don't have to attain or achieve anything to become whole we just have to realize we are perfect already. Well maybe we just need to get in touch with that part of ourselves that believes "I CAN" and know that it's in there buried beneath the dissappointments and regrets.

 

I wonder if this was just a more effective technology to get to a state of peace and fulfillment. There are innumerable ways to change beliefs...affirmations, praying, taking a class, reading books, using rituals, etc. Perhaps Jesus cut to the lowest common denominator and meant, just find that part of you that believes you can-- if you believe you can you don't have to work on feeling worthy, skilled, etc. Coming from the place of "I Can" can knock out a slew of limiting ideas that only hold you back and deter you from your goals.

 

Knowing "I can" keeps you focused...I found this awesome quote the other day that I now  keep on my computer monitor:

 

"Obstacles are those things you see when you take your eyes off the goal."

 

So the winning combination is to ceaselessly continue to focus your attention on that place inside that believes it CAN. I think so many of us have so many limiting beliefs that we dismiss these ideas, they sound too simple.

 

Unfortunately some people have to experience unbearable pain before they would even consider it.

 

We all have to start somewhere, so I guess for me the first step is to entertain the idea that the "I can" might possibly be inside, second step, focus my attention on it, even if only for a few seconds at a time.