Compass of the Times 243

Expand Yourself

Keiko Takahashi

Human Beings Apply a Fixed Frame

I once dwelled in the dimension of energy, without boundaries,
Following the flow of the truth
Without fixed frames in a world of relativity.
My own body was the very manifestation of wisdom.

The above is what I wrote at the beginning of the section, “Multiple Phases of Human Existence,” in my book Seimei no Yohaku ni (In the Blank Pages of Life, currently available only in Japanese), and meaning that this is the essence of our soul. Our souls are connected to all things in nature and to any possibility.

However, by being born into this world, we begin to live in a way that is completely different from the nature of our souls. We think, “This is good, this is bad,” “This is valuable, this is not,” “I can still make it work,” “If this happens, it’s over,” and so on. Thus, we apply fixed frames to the world of relativity, and we will have limitations everywhere.

Even about ourselves, we say such things as “I’m this kind of person,” “I’m good at this but not so good at that,” and “This is how we should interact with others.” We can show others how we live our lives in terms of everything, from our personalities, abilities, and the way we perceive things to the way we form relationships with others. But at the same time, this way of perceiving and living becomes binding and produces limitations. We create countless limitations for ourselves without realizing it.

Choose a Different Place and a Different Way of Life

In other words, by creating countless limitations, we are stifling our own potential.

It could be said that we are not fully utilizing our individual potential. Each one of us has more potential, and there is a power lying dormant that we have not demonstrated in our lives up to now.

This is why we must look outside the “frame” that we have been applying to ourselves without realizing it.

In a situation where you would normally make the choice of the left side, you dare to seriously consider the possibilities of the choice of the right side. You try to restrain yourself from reacting to a comment from a colleague and dare to let it go. You will proactively put yourself forward and challenge yourself where you would normally take a step back. If you are always striving to realize your own desires, try to help those around you and do what they wish for. In other words, you choose a different place and a different way of life.

Of course, realistic choices can be compelling. Sometimes, you cannot always make a different choice.

Then, how about changing your lifestyle? If you usually go to bed after midnight and get up at 7:00 a.m., try taking a little early rest and getting up at 4:00 a.m. If you normally live within a two-kilometer radius, try expanding that to a five-kilometer radius. Just doing those things will make you see reality and the world differently from how you normally see it.

And from there, it is also significant to try to change or renew the way you relate to people. Try to put aside the impressions you have of the people around you and meet them with a fresh mind. Think about what other parties are hoping for and the conditions they have undergone in their lives and wonder why you are meeting with them now. This alone will make some difference in the way you relate to them.

Expand Yourself

The important thing to remember is that we all have dormant powers that we do not know about. We all have our own potential. Attempting to draw it out can be nothing but fun.

This is about expanding ourselves.

Without being aware, we have created fixed frames and placed ourselves under limitations or restrictions through our birth and upbringing. If we expand them little by little, it becomes clear that there is something more we can do and take in.

Let us believe not in the current self but in the Other Self that lies deep within to draw out the hidden potential.

You expand your mind and take action—this first step will surely create a new future for you.

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