Four steps to wisdom

A straight lift from De Mello: In Awareness, he describes these four steps as the most important - crucial even - part of his message. He is clear that we have to master this in order to get in touch with our awakened state. In one way, it will be familiar to those who have followed the Twelve-Step programme of AA, which highlights the part played by selfishness and self- seeking in our unhappiness and in our restlessness and resentments.


The four steps are:

1. Get in touch with your negative feelings
2. Understand that these feelings are in you; they are in your mind and are not real
3. Stop identifying with these feelings
4. Change things by changing yourself

Mark Houston - a man who helped me enormously with his lived wisdom  - used to say "It's easier to wear slippers than to carpet the whole world." 


This highlights my powerlessness over external events and over other people. The little power I have needs to be exerted over me, by concentrating on my unreal view of the world. Today, when I am irritable and discontent, I ask myself "What have I done?" The answer to that question liberates me from the perceived suffering or unhappiness.