One of the most revealing ideas of Vernon Howard’s teachings is the belief that your self-images are real. You like anyone who affirms with your images and dis-like anyone who won’t play your game. When you go out into the world and want people to agree with your self-image you are making a demand that they should acknowledge you in a certain way. But since it is only your imagination of yourself, you have quite a task to get everyone to agree. What an unseen psychological prison cell you have made for yourself. If I am concerned about how I am being perceived, how can I truly enjoy myself? My attention is being misdirected, and my energy is being wasted on self-concern.

Most of us have been doing this all our lives, and so it seems normal to us. If you want to be truly happy then see your self-images. So by putting your attention on your self-images, listening to your thoughts and questioning yourself as you speak, puts Light on this and it is your own witnessing of this process that starts to weaken those self-image ideas.

To say it very simply, your exposure to self-image thoughts places you in a much happier place inside. We all wish to reach new, higher levels of happiness. Your Sky-self (a term Vernon Howard often uses) is a part of you that is free from the weight of self-images. You will find you don’t need them at all.