“The soul is a treasure chest; hidden inside of it are priceless jewels.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo
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There is treasure inside of you, yes, you! How do you find it? Get fascinated by discovering yourself. Approach it as a mystery to be solved, watch for clues, see the patterns, piece together the big picture.

The point is to get interested, even fascinated in exploring your inner self because this is who you came here to be, to express, to explore and to offer the world. You are the only one of you, the only one who can offer to the world the particular brand of genius that is yours to give.

I love this idea because I’ve spent much of my life feeling that others were more interesting than me, more lovable and with more to offer. I’ve spent most of my life figuring out how to please others, learning how to read their moods and their motivations. I’ve mostly ignored or sought to be free of my own moods, my own motivations, feeling unworthy of attention, believing that others deserved my attention more.

Yet, as we open to Spirit, we grow to believe in the I AM, our God Selves, our intuitive guidance and inner wisdom. We grow to believe that our own happiness and inspiration are our guide.

Think of the great artists, musicians, painters and writers. They all have something in common, a drive to explore inside, bringing out to the world what is within themselves. They are fascinated with that inner exploration and treasure hunt. It is as if they are painting their soul for the world to see, composing their essence for the world to hear, going deeper and deeper until they are expressing their pure energy here and now.

Each one's soul is constantly changing and evolving and that is why we are never finished creating. When the great science fiction writer, Isaac Asimov, was asked what he would do if he only had weeks to live, he answered, “I would write faster.” Clearly, he had much more of himself to bring forth.

Can we too get fascinated with the exploration of what is right there inside of us? Can we discover new and amazing views within and around each corner of our inner landscapes? Can we allow ourselves to become fascinated by what is inside waiting to be expressed with each new day?

Is this what it means to fall in love with your Self? Your Self is that part of you which is God expressing through you. Can we become fascinated, intrigued, attracted, even a little obsessed with expressing more and more of our Selves?

It's a treasure hunt for the myriad expressions of our Selves. Finding the clues, piecing together the puzzle. Seeking God’s expression through our everyday lives. Focusing our attention upon our Selves, rather than our small, ego selves.

Distracted by the demands and details of daily living most of us focus our attention on the ego self, in an attempt to fix and make better, stay organized and on top of things. Now we can turn that around. We can allow our ego selves to do what they do, taking care of the details of daily living. We can love our egos for the role they play. Yet we can focus predominantly upon our Self-expression, the expression of our Higher Selves in daily life.

Doing this we can look for and pay attention to the expressions, messages, inspirations, movement, joy, attractions, and guidance of our Higher Selves. We can be like the great artists and explorers and make each day a treasure hunt for our Selves, bringing forth more and more of who we truly are.

 “It is not about me, my self. It is about God, my Self.”
-Unknown
 
“Be in the world but not of the world.' The words are from Jesus. But I have not the slightest idea how to accomplish that or even if it's possible. The world will always poke you in the chest with its index finger.”
― Francisco X. Stork, Marcelo in the Real World
 
             
A few years back, I asked God for help in maintaining my inward focus at rehearsals for a women’s singing group I was a member of. There was a reason I needed this help.
 
Although I loved the singing and enjoyed being with the other women, my tendency was to focus my attention outward. I attended to all the people in the room, looking about, conversing, scattering my energies about the room attempting to control what I could not control. My ego self inevitably jumped in and started judging and criticizing myself. This all left me feeling off-center and out of kilter. I came home from rehearsals feeling tired and out of sorts.    
 
The morning I asked for help, I had the thought to bring my knitting to rehearsal, as I had seen some other women do. I did not knit while we sang, only during breaks. It was enough. It was the answer to my prayer.
 
As I focused my attention on knitting, I was delighted to find that it kept me focused inwardly. It helped me to relax, stay centered, breathe and think, “God.” I found that even as I carried on conversations with others the knitting held my attention and kept me feeling balanced.
 
When I was knitting my eyes were focused on the work in my lap. I could hold a conversation, I could look up and attend to who I was talking to, I could be generally aware of what is going on in the room, yet, my eyes were always pulled back to the knitting, my attention stayed focused. I was not scattering my energy, I was focusing it.
 
When I knit, and this was the important part for me, I was not trying to control what was going on in the room. Instead, I was controlling what was going on inside me. That was the only thing I truly had control over. Anything else was a waste of energy.
 
Knitting held just enough of my attention so that I was able to stay slightly apart, in a good way, a healthy way.
 
That was true then, and it is still true now. It is all about attention. Where your attention is, is where your energy flows. Spiritual development is learning how to selectively attend to your God Self within.
 
God is within each of us. When we feel centered, our focus is from our God Self. It is as if we are looking out at the world from our heart center. It can be almost a physical sensation in the area of the heart chakra. We feel deep compassion.
 
You may experience a slight feeling of separation from all that surrounds you, as if you are not wholly a part of it. And indeed you are not, for just as when I was knitting, much of your attention is focused elsewhere, experiencing from within. It is as if you are inwardly knitting.
 
In time perhaps, we can all learn to knit from within no matter whether we are knitters or not, but for now, knitting on the outside works just fine.
 
Photo by Rebecca Grant on Unsplash