The Majestic Journey Within

by  Betty Ann Walker

The Woman

Once there was a woman who was very unhappy.

She had spent most of her life timid and afraid, burying her heart in a dark sea of shadows. Encouraged by her Council of Wise Advisors, she set out to seek help from the Teacher of Truth. The journey was far across the land, but she was sure she would find the key to happiness in his mystical secrets.

So she bid farewell to her loved ones and set out on her journey to find this great teacher and to regain her happiness that was lost from her heart so long ago. The journey was long but soon arrived in the land of the Teacher of Truth.

The Teacher
The woman was timid when she met the wise man, unsure of how he would judge her or if he could help her. Then their eyes met and he smiled and said, "Others see you as you see yourself. Open your heart and see first, for yourself, the beauty that lies within you. Once you forgive and love yourself," he concluded, "others will see your inner brillance too."

There was a trust in the teacher's eyes and a softness in his voice. Though scared and unsure, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began her inward journey to find her own truth.

The Path

She first envisioned a path through a forest lined with bright colored flowers that beckoned to her to enter. As she walked through the woods along the path, she came to a clearing with a stone chair in the center. She sat in chair and felt instantly comfortable, as if she were at home. Animals emerged from the forest, greeting her with excitement and affection. A deer and a rabbit approached, an eagle landed beside her, a horse approached from behind and nuzzled against her shoulder, and a bear lay his large fuzzy head in her lap as she gently stroked his coarse coat. It felt real to the woman, it felt so very real.

She noticed a bright ray of sun that lit an opening further along the path. She rose and walked further along the path toward the sunlit opening as all the animals watched and chattered in delight.

She emerged from the woods into a beautiful field of tall grass and shimmering clover. Sunrays danced through the lazy grass as the lavender clover swayed with the cool gentle breeze.

She followed the path through the field to an enormous mountaintop of rock and boulder. A guide met her at the top, greeting her warmly and smiled. The woman asked about the beautiful place, what it was, what it might be. The guide replied softly, "This, my dear, is the landscape of your heart. And it's been waiting for you to return for a long, long time."

The guide showed her gorgeous lakes, flowing streams, brimming valleys, and beautiful fields. Its beauty was unlike anything the woman had seen before.

The Dream

Then they came upon a stone building that was old and in desperate need of repair. It was such a stark contrast to the beauty around it, she was taken back by its appearance. "That is the place where your heart's dreams are created," her guide sadly replied, " and as you can see, you haven't been there in a very long time."

Startled by the words she had heard, the woman awoke with tears in her eyes and a deep sadness in her heart. She recounted the experience for the Great Teacher of Truth and in his gentle and wise way, he explained what she had experienced.

The Ego

"Negative thoughts and emotions, that we call the Ego, have surrounded your heart with darkness and despair for many long, long years. He smiled and said, "Now it is time to bring light back into your heart, joy back into your soul, and purpose back into your life."

And so the great teacher worked with her to search for the darkness and where it resided within. One by one, they uncovered the sadness together, revealed the fears that hid in the shadows, and unturned the guilt that had been held up inside her. As each dark emotion was lifted, the light would grow and her heart would fill with joy. Her dreams now had room to bloom and prosper.

"Now go back within," the great teacher told her," and fill your heart with this new-found happiness. Spread the light throughout your soul and transform your heart's landscape into a majestic masterpiece."

The Return

So she closed her eyes and returned to her heart's private sanctuary. With each joyful breath, she watched as her landscape within filled with vibrant colors and wonderful sensations. Animals chattered and warm sunshine grew as the flowers bloomed into spectacular brilliance.

As she entered the old building where her heart's dreams came true, she laughed with delight as the building transformed in a beautiful mansion of polished stone and crystal clean elegance. Inside she found bright white walls illuminated by sunlit windows. It was new, it was empty and it was ready for her to fill with her heart's desires.

A cylinder of light rose from a circular design in the middle of the room and reached up to the crystal dome ceiling high above to the sky. Sparkles appeared in the circular light and twinkled with delight as one by one they sprung into focus as tiny fairies dancing with excitement.

The Magic

The fairies led her to a closet nestled in the wall which she opened to find full of bright silver cans, each one filled with colors and magical energy. The cans were labeled not by color, but by emotion - joy, love, knowledge, and more.

A voice came to the woman and whispered in her ear, "This is your house, the house of your heart and dreams. Paint the walls with what you wish your reality to be, paint the change you desire in your life. Say the words, and it will be so."

A magic wand appeared in her hand and she watched it sparkle as she dipped it into the paint cans of emotions. Waving the wand across the white walls, she watched as she painted murals of love and prosperity and joy and success. The trumpets of Gabriel sounded with each picture's completion. The fairies danced as the woman stepped into the cylinder of light. She touched the light and the fairies within it, turning the white light to purple and whisking her wand around and around until finally she spun and sent the light up through the ceiling and out into the sky, spreading the fairies and her murals of desire out of her heart and into her reality.

The birds sang and animals rejoiced. The fairies cheered at the return of joy to the palace of the woman's heart.

The Visit

The woman stepped out to see what other changes had occurred and witnessed a magnificent burst that filled the corner of the nearby clover field. Two pure white unicorns stepped into the landscape, their manes glistening with each step they took. Light radiated from their crystal horns as they enlightened the landscape with love and magnificence. Glitter sparkled from their hooves with each step they took and sent shimmers to all it touched. All the animals bowed to honor the pair for their royal innocence and purity.

The woman was in awe, struck speechless in their presence. "Joy has returned to your heart once more," the great stallion said to her. "And we will remain to guard your soul and ward off the darkness. The more you paint, the more happiness you will see in your heart and in your world. Visit here often and many more rooms will be revealed to you."

The woman awoke, this time with eyes filled with tears of joy. She hurried to share her new story with her teacher. Tears steamed down her face as she realized the darkness had finally been lifted from her heart and her chest ached with excitement at the new-found happiness within.

The Secret

 "You have seen the great gift," her teacher explained, "the great secret that lies within. You now see that you can create your own reality from the inside out. As you change your thoughts, your dreams, your emotions and your desires, you change your reality into the success and prosperity and happiness you seek. You had the power all along, I just helped you find it."

As she thought about his words, he continued to say, "With this secret, you can change your life. And - with this secret, you can change the world."

She was not prepared for that, she was not prepared for the enormity of what she now knew. She knew what she was meant to do. She knew what she had to do.

Through opening her heart to the light and love, she knew she would be happy forever. She had found the secret to bringing true happiness into her life, and she wanted to share what she knew with others to help them do the same.

The woman thanked the Great Teacher of Truth through joyful tears for helping her find her true self, knowing he had changed her life forever.

The Change

She returned to her loved ones, a changed woman. No longer stuck in the dark depths of ego, she was able to love from her heart once again. She radiated happiness wherever she went and shared her story with all who wanted to know. And she shared the secret, the secret that lies within - the secret to be found in the Majestic Journey Within.

This story is over, but the saga continues.

Contact me to learn more!

bawalker@ccs-email.com

www.MajesticJourneyWithin.com

2006 © Betty Ann Walker