Building Your Foundation of Self: What is Inner Work?

The latest from the Self Talk podcast

Self Talk with Rachel Astarte, Episode 132

Asking yourself deeper questions opens up new ways of being in the world. It brings in a breath of fresh air. It makes life more joyful.
The real trick to life is to not be in the know, but to be in the mystery.
—Fred Alan Wolf

Transcript [edited]

I'd like to introduce you to a process of deep inner work called the Foundation of Self. Those of you who have worked with me before in class or in session know what that is, but some of you may not.

So, let's talk about why having a strong foundation of self is important, and how we can achieve it.

First of all, what is inner work?

It's the process of getting to know your true self, not just for the benefit of yourself, but for the benefit of all beings.

Inner work is about learning your patterns of thinking, of feeling, behaving, and believing. Knowing yourself fully allows you to make better decisions for your life, which in turn benefits the world around you, because we're all connected.

I'll give you an example.

Photo by Valiant Made on Unsplash

Let's say you're at a dinner party and someone you've just met gives you a backhanded compliment about your outfit. Something like, "I wish I had the courage to wear such bold colors."

Now, if you haven't done inner work, you might become self-conscious about what you're wearing, and those thoughts may trigger memories of past experiences when you've been judged by how you look. As a result, you may withdraw from the conversation. You may even find an excuse to leave the party early. And even though you've left the party, those feelings of self-doubt come home with you and ruin your evening. Maybe they ruin the next day. Perhaps they even cause you to keep yourself small at work and miss out on a promotion…

When you have a strong foundation of self, you can manage life's challenges with grace.

You have the ability to know who you are, what you want, what your calling is in this life, and you stop doubting yourself and seeking external validation.

You see that your life is an essential part of the whole of existence, and that all life around you is family. In the case of that party guest, rather than considering whether you meet their expectations of what colors are bold, you go inward and consult yourself. You confirm that those colors make you feel good, which is why you chose them in the first place. Further, you might even find compassion for the guest who may not be as confident in their clothing choices as you are. That compassion you're experiencing comes from remembering that we are all family, so that's part of the foundation of self.

Photo by Dino Reichmuth on Unsplash

So why all this focus on the self?

I mean, we can feel pretty insignificant given the scope and size of the cosmos. What's my little life in the grand scheme of things? Simple quantum physics has shown us that everything is energy. And because everything is energy, your individual life, your energy, contributes to collective consciousness and the quantum field, that's how powerful you are.

Albert Einstein said, "Everything is energy, and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want, and you cannot help but get that reality.
It can be no other way."

This is not philosophy. This is physics. And that quote at the top about being in the mystery comes from theoretical physicist Fred Alan Wolf. He talks about our interaction with the quantum field in this way: you are changing reality simply by observing it in the real world of quantum mechanics.

Ultimately and fundamentally, we affect the universe whenever we observe it or anything in it.

Now do you see how powerful you are? You shape reality.

Next time, we'll cover nonjudgment, the lifeblood of Foundation of Self work. Until then, be gentle with yourself.

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