Keys to an Unshakable New Self

Any weakness we may harbor in our present character persists only because we have yet to see how its presence compromises our happiness, but a growing awareness of this interior shakiness changes everything. Our awakening stirs within us a Celestial Character created for the purpose of transforming the soul's stumbling stones into the building blocks of a whole new Unshakable Self.

Most people want very much to be strong, but they do not seem to be able to find the real strength they yearn for. Instead, they find qualities that pass themselves off as strength, but secretly leave them feeling weak. Here are some examples of false strength:

Lashing out in anger when frustrated
Demanding that we are right
Blaming someone else for causing the problem
Being loud and intimidating, or cold and critical
Feeling confident because of any contrived appearance

By contrast, here are some examples of real strength:

Remaining calm in a crisis
Never feeling the need to prove ourselves to anyone
Seeking to solve the problem rather than placing blame
Enjoying self-command regardless of uncertain circumstances
Seeing all setbacks as necessary steps to higher success

Study these two lists and try to see their great difference, not only in the individual areas of strength, but also with regard to the whole human character from which they arise. What a different kind of life would be led by someone who displayed the qualities in the second list as compared to the first. It is possible for any of us to achieve that different kind of life, but only in proportion to our willingness to see the difference between real and false strength. Our growing understanding of the difference is key, for it brings about an inner change that puts us in an entirely new relationship with life.

-- Guy Finley