Where does our feeling of security come from? Does it come from having more money, more material possessions, more locks on doors? Tangible things can provide a certain amount of physical security, but they can’t actually make a person feel secure inside. In fact, having a lot of money might actually create insecurity if it causes a person to feel like a target or live in fear that someone will take their wealth away. A recent survey found that more than half of millionaires feel insecure about losing their fortunes.
We do need a certain amount of physical security to take care of our basic needs – food, shelter, love. But how much material wealth is enough? Remember the saying “You can’t take it with you”? Our worldly possessions don’t mean anything once we pass on. You can’t spend money after you die, and you can’t physically drag your house over to the ‘other side’. You don’t even take your physical body! However, what you DO take with you is YOU! – your energy, your soul, your ‘state of consciousness’. You are a soul with a physical body, not a physical body with a soul, and there is no death.
So, how can we have more inner security? We can learn to feel secure by trusting our feelings, hunches, or intuitive inner knowing that tell us what to do and where to be. By paying attention to our ‘inner guidance system’ we can take care of things in the right timing and avoid a lot of trouble.
Another thing that can help us feel secure is to know that we are never alone. We all have a team of guardian angels or spiritual helpers backing us in our life’s journey, helping us learn and grow spiritually. Some people call them ‘messengers of God’; others refer to them as ‘spiritual guidance’. Whatever you call them, they are always with you and they have your best interest at heart. When you are relaxed and open to them, you may feel their presence as ‘goosebumps’ or ‘chills’ as they provide comfort, reassurance or insight.
Inner security gives birth to outer security, not the other way around, and there are actions you can take to increase your feelings of inner calm and composure:
- First, relax, take a deep breath, and see yourself as the confident, beautiful, dynamic, secure person that you are.
- When challenged by stress or worry, repeat a positive affirmation or mantra until you feel centered and calm.
- In your thoughts and words, replace the word “worry” with “concern”. By saying, “I’m concerned about…” you detach from the emotion of worry and place yourself in a better position to discern if you need to take action on the matter or not.
- If you find yourself feeling anxious, you can experiment with a “worry stone” – a small, smooth stone that fits in your pocket. You can squeeze the stone in your hand and concentrate all your fears into it. This focuses your worry on something outside of you and can help you feel more grounded and relaxed. Or you can try reciting the ‘Serenity Prayer’: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
By knowing yourself and learning to trust your inner guidance, you can strengthen and maintain your feeling of inner security.
Even if turmoil and anxiety are running rampant in the environment, you can maintain your tranquility by remaining calm and remembering who you are. You can have the ‘peace that passeth understanding’.