All questions that we may have about life arise from one fundamental question: Who Am I? All problems begin with not knowing this answer. The answer changes with time and with changes in consciousness. Our joy comes from an insight into this question.

We cannot escape childhood without being wounded. Every time we made demands of others and they refused us, we were diminished in our self-worth. Each time we asked for love and it was withheld, our self-value decreased. Whenever we attempted to prove ourselves and we failed, we lost some of our power. As we repeated these experiences, patterns of inadequacy developed, and fears of various kinds took root in our subconscious.

The greatest social and familial pressure everyone experiences is to conform. We learn early in our life that if we want to get others to help us or cooperate with us, we need to do what pleases them. We also find that we get approval for how we are when we conform to others’ expectations of us. By conforming to gain acceptance and approval, we pay a very dear price.