Haanel wrote:
The world without is a reflection of the world within.
What appears without is what has been found within.
In the world within may be found infinite Wisdom,
infinite Power, infinite Supply of all that is necessary,
waiting for unfoldment, development and expression.
If we recognize these potentialities in the world within
they will take form in the world without.
What Haanel is saying in the first sentence of this point is that the Universe adjusts itself to our perception of what is real. Perhaps it would be more correct to say that our perspective filters the information we take in through our 5 sense gates (sight, hearing, taste, smell , touch) and interprets them in a way which is in keeping with our own, individual belief system. It’s part of our defence mechanism, that allows us to make sense of what is happening outside of ourselves in a way that is in keeping with what we believe.
For each person, that perspective will be slightly different because it is made up of a number of factors including: your values, your attitudes, your experiences, your upbringing and your belief systems. By bringing all those factors into play it is not hard to see how two people could have quite a different perspective on one topic because no two people will have EXACTLY the same values, attitudes, experiences, upbringing or beliefs.
So whose perspective is right?
Answer: Everybody’s.
No doubt you’ve heard the phrase that doesn’t seem get much attention these days that “the customer is always right.” Well, this is where that notion comes from. In his/her own mind the customer IS always right. Even when, or particularly when, the customer is completely wrong, the customer is always right….at least in their mind, which, quite honestly is all that really matters to them. You will never win an argument with someone who, for whatever reason, cannot/will not consider an alternative perspective on the matter.
But that’s not all that is contained within this short sentence. Haanel is also saying that our own individual understanding of the world outside is limited by the amount of time and effort a person has given to exploring the world within. If you have not started the journey to the world within, your perspective of the outside world will, at best, be stunted and incomplete.
We already know that it is from the world within we can access and influence our thoughts and feelings and tap into the power of light and life and beauty (point six), and find the solution for every problem, the cause for every effect. (point seven) But that can only happen if we embark on that journey. Until then, we really have no true understanding of either our place within the whole scheme of things or the potential we have available to us.
As Haanel points out in the rest of this point we have available to us, “ infinite Wisdom, infinite Power, infinite Supply of all that is necessary.” Can you get your mind around that? I certainly struggle with the magnitude of what Haanel is saying. In essence ALL wisdom without limitation, ALL power, without limitation, and everything we could ever need, without limitation is available to us simply by undertaking the journey to the world within!
So, why then do we live such pathetic, miserable lives? Is it because we are unaware of our potential? For some, that may be true. In the main, however, despite all that awaits us, despite it just sitting there, waiting for us to claim, unfold, develop and express we let it sit there, like some discarded gift that has not even been unwrapped.
Not only that, but we moan and complain about how unfair life is and how powerless we are to do anything to change our situations etc.,etc.,etc. when all the while that gift sits, quietly by waiting for us to claim it. That, in my humble opinion, has to be a tragic waste of life.
