Outside of the Circle

Outside of the Circle

Once upon a time I lived Inside the Circle with almost everyone else I knew. Living Inside the Circle was a way of life for most people and few dared to live outside of it. We were told Truth resided within the Circle. To go outside of the Circle would mean certain death. We were also promised an eternity of good things if we stayed close to the Center of the Circle.

Like many others I felt a special calling in my life to promote life Inside the Circle. I went to a special school to be trained on how to expand the Circle all over the world. I was good at talking about the Circle. I loved being in the Center of the Circle more than anything in life. 

Then one day I read a book from Outside of the Circle. I was shocked! I expected the book to be full of lies and deceitful teaching. Instead the book contained beauty, clarity and universal principles. I found the book from Outside of the Circle to make more sense than the book from Inside the Circle. 

Slowly and somewhat painfully I began the process of moving toward the outer edges of the Circle. It was scary to be moving away from the only reality I had known, but each step toward the Edge was renewing my mind in a wonderful way. Little by little the fog that had filled my existence was lifting and I was able to see the real world for what it really is-strange yet beautiful. 

I felt like I was waking up from a dream world of make believe. A world with a god who was in absolute control. A world where you were constantly confused and baffled by the inconsistencies in the book you were required to believe. A world were questions and doubts were as deadly as treason. A world were morals were forced by either the promise of reward or the threat of punishment. 

I remember the day I took my first step Outside of the Circle. I had been hoovering around the edge for several months. Once or twice I stuck my toe over the line. I was testing the waters. The least bit of resistance would cause me to jerk my toe back across the line. I would shiver with fear waiting for a lightening bolt from heaven to strike me dead. Nothing happened.

Then it hit me! Not a lightening bolt, as I had expected, but a shot of reason from within my own mind. Living Inside of the Circle had conditioned me against the very thought of leaving the Circle. The power of the Circle was Fear. The only way to break the power of Fear was to face it head on. And that is what I did!

I squared my shoulders, took responsibility for my life and Walked out of the Circle! Now I can easily look back at the Circle and see all the things I couldn't see while I was Inside of the Circle.

 

Today I am living life Outside of the Circle and finding new vistas of freedom all around me. I've learned too much to ever go back.