As Above, So Below

As above so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul. Ok so this is a little more deep than how I would usually start my posts but stick with me and I will explain. Let me start by acknowledging that this quote is not my own. You may have heard it before (or a version of it) as it has been around a very long time. Without going into a drawn out discussion of it’s origins, for the purpose of this post I am happy to attribute it to Hermes Trismegistus.

Now you may be wondering why I am quoting the work of an ancient philosopher when I should be talking about goal setting and finding happiness. The answer is quite simple. This quote has been floating around in my head for about 2 weeks now so I figured I’d give it some time and thought. It eventually hit me. This quote perfectly sums up my last 8 posts. As within, so without, as above, so below, as the universe, so the soul.

No matter if you agree or not with my point of view on happiness, self improvement and my ideas on our Three Sides To Self, if you take nothing else from my posts at all, I ask you to at least think about this. If we are searching for happiness in our lives, if we are looking to change or improve our situation, we would be wise to remember this quote.

As we move in to the new year, many of us begin to make plans of what we want to achieve in the next 12 months. Some call them New Years Resolutions (I don’t but I’ll talk about that next time), others simply have loose ideas of what they want to do. No matter where you fall on that continuum remember our quote.

No matter what it is we are looking for, no matter what we want to change in our lives, we must always begin within ourselves. Our reality is simply our perception of reality. Or we could also say that our reality is a mirror of our perception. Our life and everything in it is highly influenced by our thoughts, self talk and values. Once we realise this, we can understand the importance of starting within, not without. Before we start setting goals to bring us happiness and contentment, we need to be happy within ourselves. Before we can love another person, we need to love ourselves. Before we set about changing the world around us, first check that it is not ourselves that need to change.

And so, I will end this year sharing the quote with you:

‘As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul.’

Thanks for a great year everyone.

Keep an eye out for my posts in 2021

Dan O’Keeffe