The Magic Castle

An Inspiring Story by Vernon Howard

    Once upon a time a weary traveler was wandering down a dark and scary road. Suddenly there appeared before him a bright and marvelous castle, with a welcome sign over the entrance. Knowing he had reached rest and safety at last, he felt glad.
    When approaching the open gate he saw a strange sight. Other lost travelers were walking right past the castle, as if it wasn’t there. He asked a castle resident about this strange behavior, and heard this reply: “This is a magic castle. It can be seen only by those who realize and admit they have lost their way. The castle can’t appear to anyone who pretends he knows where he is going, who demands his own way. Your own self-honesty made the castle appear to you. Enter, for all its riches are now yours.”
    What a perfect explanation of the human problem and its higher healing. It happily declares that anyone who really realizes he is lost in life can find himself. It means that any sincere person can leave all the defeat and sadness of society and enter his own inner castle where all is well.
    You can start to find your own interior castle simply by wanting to start. It’s that simple, so start right now.
    Let’s first face the facts about the average man. Take away sex and food and money and he wouldn’t know what to do with himself.
    There is something higher. There is freedom from human problems, like yours. Notice how much grief is caused simply by living in this world of confused men and women. Many of your friends help you with problems you wouldn’t have had if they hadn’t been your friends. Well, when living the castle-life you’re an expert in human nature. No one can ever deceive and hurt you again, for example, in
affairs of love and romance. Your clear insight into people changes you from a victim to a victor, just as a soaring dove is safe from a prowling fox.
    Here’s a secret method for replacing fog with sunshine. When you feel scared, don’t pretend you’re brave. Truth gives you permission to be just as scared as you really are. Just be aware of your anxiety without worrying over it. This self-help not only banishes fear but delivers great relief. It’s like a tired actor who removes his uncomfortable costume after a hard night onstage. Since he no longer needs to impress the audience he can just relax and enjoy being himself.
    You can feel the pleasure of problems falling off your back. Take paper and pencil and list your difficulties. This is a highly positive and healthy act, for you are sincerely facing the facts.
    Your list might include problems shared by others, for example, fear of the future, feeling rejected and unwanted, aching loneliness, anxiety over love and sex, worry over losing someone you need, and wondering what to do with yourself.
    Remember, you need never feel ashamed for past mistakes. You are not blamed or accused of anything. Truth is too loving for that. Truth just wants you to know that security is better than anxiety, that self-confidence is nicer than self-doubt.
    Picture a stormy ocean at night with huge waves and roaring thunder. Now picture a powerful spotlight coming from a lighthouse on shore. The light plunges straight into the angry waves but it can’t be harmed by them. Why? Why because light has an entirely different nature than waves. Light is superior to all storms. That’s how your enlightened nature remains free of all the storms of daily life.
    These truths are what you really yearn to find. And these powers are much closer than you think. Discover your own inner castle. Let these healthy ideas become part of your day. Help is available to you now!

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