Your first duty to yourself is to know and understand yourself and your inner world before you try to know and understand the world outside of you.
We have spent most of our time studying history, geography, science, economics, mathematics, literature, languages, astrology and all else about the world, but practically no time to know ourselves and our inner world.
Yet with so much knowledge of the world and how things are run, our lives have not become easier.
On the contrary, we are still confused about life and we suffer pain and struggle.
We feel powerless to change our circumstances and would pay anything to know how we can be masters of our destiny.
You create your own reality The answer to life's mysteries and struggles lies within yourself.
Your whole life is created in your mind first before it is manifested as your experience.
The state of your life is a mirror-match with your thoughts and beliefs.
When you know and understand yourself and your inner world, you will know that you alone are responsible for creating all your experiences, good and bad.
Your thoughts, beliefs, words and feelings are creating your life daily.
Change your thoughts and you can transform your life.
You are the problem and you are the solution.
When you realize that you are creating your experience, you reclaim your innate power to take charge of your life and direct it on a course you choose.
How to know yourself? In embarking on the journey to know yourself, it is comforting to remember that you are God's magnificent creation.
You were born with a complete tool kit to create any experiences you desire.
Contrary to your belief that you are powerless, you are powerful beyond your wildest imagination.
However, the first step to knowing yourself is to become self-aware.
Be self-aware To know and understand yourself, you have to be fully aware of how you are creating your life.
Only then can you transform your life.
Throughout each day, become aware of the thoughts you are thinking, the words you are saying and the feelings you are experiencing.
Ask yourself, "Are these thoughts, words and feelings supporting my life and where I want to go and who I want to be? If they are negative and make you feel worse, know that you are creating the opposite of what you want.
Your thoughts, words and feelings must be in alignment with your desires.
If you desire perfect health even though you are currently experiencing poor health, you have to visualize yourself in perfect health now.
Recite positive affirmations daily such as, "I am enjoying perfect health now," or "My health is improving daily.
" Only through positive thoughts, words and feelings now can you create the future state you desire.
Be the silent observer of your thoughts, behavior and actions and their impact on yourself and others.
Consciously and deliberately choose positive thoughts, words, feelings and actions throughout each day.
This daily practice will become a positive habit and soon you will witness positive experiences occurring daily.
Love yourself To get to know yourself, you have to see yourself without any distortions.
Be totally honest with your strengths and failings and accept yourself as you are now even though you know there are areas in your life which you want to improve.
Self-approval is the highest form of love.
If you can love, value and respect yourself as you are, you can walk tall and face the world everyday.
And why not? You are a child of God no matter what.
Love heals all wounds including those which are self-inflicted.
Your self-love and self-respect will attract love and respect from others.
Your inner energy determines other people's response to you.
You control how you wish others to treat you and not the other way around.
Knowing you are in control will strengthen your resolve to sort out your inner thoughts and feelings first so that your relationships will be harmonious.
Spend time with yourself Spend at least 10 minutes a day in silence and quiet meditation to get to know yourself.
When your mind is quiet, it is easier to connect with your inner being.
Acknowledge how far you have come and be proud of your achievements as a child, sibling, parent, spouse, friend and employee.
Think of the people you love and who love you.
Think of all the good things in your life.
The more good things about you and your life you focus on, the better you will feel about yourself and your life.
This feel good energy will attract more things into your life to feel good about.
In this quiet sanctuary, you can create the life you desire by focusing on how you want each situation to turn out.
Only when you can see the desired outcome now, will you create it in the future.
Know yourself and know true freedom You will experience true freedom when you know yourself and understand that you are a magnificent creator of your experiences.
You will know true freedom when you are able to create the experiences you desire effortlessly.
No longer will you feel that life is confusing or that you are a victim of circumstances.
The veil of mystery will be lifted.
You will realize that God has given you great personal power to choose and create whatever experience you desire.
Living life joyously When you know who you really are, when you know how to use your creative powers wisely, you will live life joyously.
You will look on each day as an unfolding of endless opportunities and look on your role as the creator of miracles.
Your long search for the solution to life's problems has been revealed.
Your journey inward has brought you home to your true essence self, which is pure love, joy, peace.
This is the perfect place from which you live your dreams.
Your outer life is just a mirror-match of your inner creations.
Everything begins and ends with you.
When you know yourself, you will know true freedom.