Changing within

One has two sides, inside and outside, subjective and objective.
There is a world outside, an objective world perceived through the senses.
There is also a world inside, a subjective world of desires, impulses, imaginations, dreams, thoughts, concepts, ideas, beliefs, faith etc.
One can observe both the worlds but one knows only a small part of both the worlds. Most people know more about the world outside than the world inside them because by habit their attention is locked on to the world outside.
The world outside flows in through the senses and every sensory inflow invokes a response in the world inside. This may be awakening of a memory, an emotion, a thought, an impulse etc and this response manifests in speech and act which will affect the world outside.
Outside flows in and modified the inside; the inside flows out and modifies the outside.
These interactions are largely unconscious and mechanical, but they can be made conscious and creative.
For example:
Encountering a snake may activate shrinking and knee jerk reactions whenever one encounters a snake. A snake in the objective world produces a set of reaction patterns in the world inside causing repeating physical responses. Normally these reaction patterns are largely unconscious and mechanical.
Now to solve the snake problem one can attempt to change the situation outside or the situation inside. Changing outside world may be in the line of eliminating all the snakes from the world or living in a snake free area etc. Changing the inner world involves observing one’s inner reaction patterns and bringing conscious control over them. As the inner responses are modified one’s response to snake encounters also undergo change. One may even find encounter with snakes as a means to know one’s inner response patterns. What was once a repulsive creature is now an opportunity to know and master oneself. Snake may even become a topic for inner research and one may even master them in the world outside!
One is no more trying to run away from or eliminate snakes.
A problem is transformed into a means for inner growth.
All the problems one encounters in the outer world are like this snake; they are opportunities for inner growth.
The way we perceive the outer world and its effects on us depends largely on the reaction pattern within us. We can modify our perceptions by becoming conscious of the mechanical and conditioned inner responses and modifying them. By thus changing inside we can achieve greater mastery in the world outside.
The key is within.