I am so tired of hearing The weekend is over and tomorrow it's back to reality! and You've lost touch with reality! or Get Real! What exactly is reality and whose reality are we talking about?

I have also often heard: Wait until you get out into the REAL WORLD! Where exactly are you when you aren't in the real world? Are you in a false place? A world of non-reality?

Additionally there's the old, It won't be so easy when you get out there! Prepare yourself for a merciless, cold, cruel world. When you do get there, you will have to struggle and deal with a lot of negative people and situations. Is that a set up or what?

We are told what is and what is not "real"
and what to expect and how to fit in.

I saw a bumper sticker not too long ago that said "Question reality". I agree. I think reality should be questioned and challenged and maybe even done away with.

Usually, when someone tells you that you must "get back to reality", they are talking about their own reality. People project their own belief systems on others all the time and, if you're not careful, you might start to think like them. I suppose most people believe that there is one reality and that they have no choice but to exist in it. Who decided what reality was to be when things first got started?

If you haven't already, I strongly suggest that you begin to examine, right away, in whose reality you are living. Are you following your own reality, or that of society, your parents, some institution, or that of someone you knew 10 years ago? What is real for you? Can you do anything to change your reality, assuming you'd want to?

Just What Is Real?

Have you ever stopped to think that "reality" is, to so many people, what is usually synonymous with a job or a task that is unpleasant? Why is that? Who decided that reality should be a necessary evil or just plain not fun? Does this mean when you are having fun that you are doing something that's not real? I think that we are all much closer to real reality when we are having fun and feeling passionate and alive. Being quiet, centered, feeling joy, doing nothing all day...now THAT'S my idea of reality!

How much does "reality" dictate to you what you must do? Must you struggle and work hard at something you don't enjoy in order to pay the bills? Also, do you believe reality dictates that we all have to do things we don't like? Is this just the way it is, or is there something that can be done about it? Who decided these things?

And now for a little dose of reality! Many of you know by now that you are the creator of your own reality, even the bad stuff. The thing is, you can't start doing anything about your reality until you know this and accept it. Taking responsibility for your life is the first step in getting yourself out from under the clutches of the old belief system.

The next step is to look at yourself. It is the way you see yourself that determines how you view the world around you. In other words, your outer reality is a reflection of your inner reality, your inner thoughts and beliefs. Therefore, your "real world" will be negative only if you perceive aspects of yourself as negative. Change how you perceive yourself and you change your reality.

If you believe you are a limited being, undeserving, and a victim with very little choice in life, then that is exactly what your reality will be. If you choose to believe that you are susceptible to colds, the flu, and all sorts of other common maladies every time there's a change in the weather, then that, too, will be your reality. If, however, you believe you are a limitless, multidimensional person and that abundance, prosperity, and radiant good health are yours for the taking, then that is the reality you will manifest.

You empower yourself when you realize that you can create your own reality. The fact is, your life does not have to be cold and cruel. You simply do not have to accept what someone tells you is real. If you think you have to struggle to pay the bills, you may want to take a look at the possibility that your possessions are enslaving you.

How many things do you feel you MUST have? How much could you let go in order to be freer? Or, what could you do to increase your income that would allow you to keep all of your possessions and acquire even more? Think about this. If you are in a relationship that no longer serves you, then why do you remain in it? Could it be you think you have no other choice and "reality" dictates that you must stay there? If you do not like your present reality, then go within and ask your Higher Self what part of you is thinking negatively and why.

What Were You Taught?

Much of what we believe about the nature of reality and ourselves is determined by what is taught to us. We are told what is and what is not "real" and what to expect and how to fit in. This is done so that the vast majority of us do not make the full connection with our true spiritual selves. Therefore, control and power are maintained and the status quo goes unchallenged.

The "real world', as it has been traditionally defined, is an illusion. Our challenge is to realize this and then to discover our own. Consider how much you may have bought into the program and, when you are ready, start creating your new reality and don't look back.

About The Author

Douglas Davis holds a master's degree in education and is the founder and director of the Personal Empowerment Institute which offers courses in metaphysics, life purpose and self-empowerment. Courses are available by mail. Douglas can be reached at: P.O. Box 1071, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223.

Related book

Loving through Your Differences: Building Strong Relationships from Separate Realities
by James L. Creighton, PhD

Dr. James Creighton has worked with couples for decades, facilitating communication and conflict resolution and teaching them the tools to build healthy, happy relationships. He has found that many couples start out believing they like the same things, see people the same way, and share a united take on the world. But inevitably differences crop up, and it can be profoundly discouraging to find that one’s partner sees a person, situation, or decision completely differently. Although many relationships flounder at this point, Creighton shows that this can actually be an opportunity to forge stronger ties. The result moves couples out of the fear and alienation of “your way or my way” and into a deep understanding of the other that allows for an “our way.”

Click here for more info and/or to order this paperback book. Also available in a Kindle edition.