Thinking back on playing the game, I remember that when “it”, it took patience to find those in hiding. It took listening for clues… hearing sounds and movement to locate hiding places. It took strategy (thinking) to sweep the playing area and tag someone before they could reach home base. As a “hider”, it took the same for opposite reasons… patience to stay quietly hidden; listening to what was going on and for the location of who was “it”; and the use of strategy for choosing where to hide as well as how to get to home base without being tagged. As most skills do, these skills take practice to develop. The more I played (practiced), the better I got.

The skills of patience, hearing, thinking (thought processing) and practice learned from this game are useful throughout life when they are applied. In life, the intention of seeking something is to find it.

What are you seeking and where are you seeking it?

What can be sought for? Purpose? Approval? Relevance? Understanding? Love? Strength? Belonging? Happiness? Worth? Success? Security? Healing? The list goes on. For whatever reason, it appears that many seek for just about everything outside of themselves. When you seek outside sources, you will find what you perceive to be what you seek. Although it may seem easier, done out of habit or chosen to do, when faced with obstacles you do not want to deal with, is it beneficial to you to seek it outside of your self?

When outside sources are used for finding such things as on the list, a falsehood is embraced and an illusion created. However, regardless of the number of outside sources… the illusion is still an illusion. In order to maintain the illusion, outside sources are required thus creating a dependence on them. The outside source becomes a lifeline much like a drug to an addict. What happens when the outside sources are no more and the illusion is no longer sustainable? What tends to occur are emotional and/or mental episodes… some minor, some major. You see or hear these stories more and more in the news, in movies/shows and on social media. There have also been studies that link these episodes to the social media/internet craze. Did we need a study to tell us this since the virtual world is an illusionary world?

Whatever void or lack that is deemed or perceived real will not be filled from outside of yourself. The only one who can fill it is you from within. As in the game of hide and seek, looking within for what you seek takes patience, listening (hearing) and discernment (thought processing). It also takes practice. When you seek within, you’ll find your amazing self. Through your re-discovery of your amazing self (aka the soul or higher self) so much may be opened to you. It is your self connection from God. Your higher self is your internal source of self. Is your internal source of self not the most beneficial place to seek what you want to find? It is the place to look because it is where you will find it like the items asked about above plus more.

Purpose: Some may know their purpose while others may not. “You were born to do it.” is a cliche that has merit either way. You are provided clues along your path and the answer lies within you. It does not matter if your purpose is simple or extraordinary. Everyone has a purpose and every purpose makes a difference in the world. You make a difference.

Approval: This is something that is sought after from outside sources. It begins in childhood seeking approval from parents and continues with teachers, coaches, bosses, etc. through life. Which do you think is more important… having their approval or having your own?

Worth: Your worth is valuable and the only person who can diminish that value is you. It does not matter what anyone else says or thinks. Do not allow outside influence to create doubt within yourself. Hold your head up embracing your self worth.

Success: Let me begin with saying that this is subjective. What is deemed as success depends on your perception of what it is. Success may be seen as fame and fortune or marriage and raising a family. View your success from your own eyes not someone else’s. Known or unknown to the world, you are successful.

Understanding: When you have an understanding of yourself, it makes you less vulnerable to outside sources. The use of the phrase, “I know you better than you know yourself”, is a signal for you to be cautious. Understanding yourself is a process that gives you pieces to your puzzle. The more pieces you put together, the clearer the idea of what the completed puzzle may be.

Love: There are many types of love. The type that needs developed is self love. Without love for yourself there is void. Sometimes this void creates other issues such as not knowing how to love someone or seeking outside love of any kind. Are you looking for love in all the wrong places? The void can only be filled by you with your love for yourself.

Strength: This pertains to inner strength not physical. Your inner strength components are mental, emotional and spiritual. The development of each component varies. The strength of each can also vary depending on its use. One may be used more as a method of protection or less because of its weaker state. An example would be using mental strength regarding emotions instead of the emotional strength. The mental gets stronger and the emotional remains weaker. The goal is to develop all components of your inner strength to help maintain balance.

Relevance: Although this is subjective, to hear some speak you would not know it. They are so consumed by wanting to be relevant in the eye’s of others that they will do what they think it takes to get it. Being relevant is not gained through someone else or by meeting any standards that are set by others. It is gained through you and found within. Believing that you are relevant in your own right and on your own terms is how you are relevant… self relevant.

Belonging: A sense of belonging can be obtained from within. It is an energetic belonging to self. With self understanding comes belonging. With self purpose comes belonging. With self worth comes belonging. With self love comes belonging. With healing comes belonging. With security comes belonging. With happiness comes belonging. All is connected.

Happiness: Happiness is like love in that it is looked for in the wrong places. True happiness comes from within. Happiness is a choice. You choose happiness by not internalizing outside negativity from situations, events or people. Happiness is being. Be happy.

Security: This includes more than the protection of yourself mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. It is also about having confidence in yourself and being comfortable with yourself. Many say they don’t like being alone. You’ll realize that there is a difference. You are not alone. You are with your self.

Healing: Healing is a continuous process. The amount of healing is dependent on the layers that have been suppressed from automatic defense mechanisms conditioned to engage in times of need. This is healing that takes place within for such as ailments as heartache, fear, regret, guilt, disappointment, grief, hate, disdain, contempt, envy, jealousy and others. These are conditions that can not be healed for you, only by you. Allow yourself to heal and be uplifted.

Who is the person you are always with? Who is the person who can change your life? It is you. It is the time for you to take a hard look at yourself… what you think, what you feel, what you believe, what you know, what you don’t know, what is your mode of perception… what is truth to you without outside influence or interference? Embrace your God given ability to choose. Make the choice to take back your power. Make the choice to be a master of self.

Begin controlling your own thoughts, feelings, words, actions and reactions. With this control, you can reject enticement and manipulation by negative situations or negative people (outside sources) that lead into darkness.

Blessings of Love & Light,

RKB