Since the beginning of human existence, teachers/gurus have imparted great truths regarding the cause of the pain people experience in their lives. These truths point in the opposite direction than where most people look. Your enemy is not who you think it is. The adversary in your life, the thorn in your side—the source of anger that compels you to blame someone or something—is not what you believe it to be. It is not something ‘out there.’ It is something ‘in here;’ an inner enemy.

You can no doubt name a hundred issues that you think is your enemy, but the enemy is not:

• A person who betrays you
• A corrupt government
• An inflationary economy
• A rude driver
• A mean boss
• A car with a flat tire
• An inconsiderate neighbor

These are all issues that we need to manage. You have no doubt heard the quote, "We Have Met The Enemy and He Is Us," Walt Kelly. We know too well the self-deprecating inner voice of defeat ringing in our ears. No one is more critical of us than ourselves. We are besieged by conflicting thoughts that send us first one way and then the other, compelling us to doubt every decision. We are our own worst enemy. No one sabotages our plans, happiness and success more than we do.

We look for quick fixes, which work for awhile. A heart-to-heart talk eases the anxiety about a relationship, or we had an unusual compliment from an 'unreasonable' boss. However, ‘fixing’ the issue outside does nothing to fix the real enemy—the inner enemy. The inner enemy which created the issue will create another. It stands to reason that there will be another issue because the inner dissatisfaction that propelled itself outward to be identified as the enemy continues to rule from within.

It is clear to those who recognize where the enemy lies, that ‘quick fixes’ are temporary and that the real cause of the issue needs to be addressed. You can fight a daily battle to protect yourself against enemies that, in fact, never are responsible for the pain you feel.

“I was like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” Isaac Newton

The resolution of all your struggles lies in correctly identifying and then eliminating the "pebble in your soul." To do this, you need to embark on a journey of self-discovery that examines the many hidden crevices of your being, leaving no pebble unturned! When your journey has been completed, you will never see yourself or the world you live in the same way again, and your new understanding will give you an inner strength that can never be defeated—because with each step of your journey, you walk farther away from the real source of your pain.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, "101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life." Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one's daily thoughts and feelings.
http://www.drdorothy.net