What does this phrase mean to you?
It's an inside job.
I found myself wondering where the phrase came from so I did a search. While there are many references to the phrase, mostly for books and songs, here's what Wikipedia has to say, "An inside job is a crime, usually larceny, robbery or embezzlement, committed by a person with a position of trust who is authorized to access a location or procedure with little or no supervision, e.g., a key employee or manager. The perpetrator can also be a former employee who still has specialized knowledge necessary to facilitate the crime."
😀
All humor aside, the phrase really means that everything in our lives begins within us.
"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."
- Frank Outlaw
What this statement really boils down to is that if we have a situation in our life which does not please us, or which we would like to change, the place to begin is inside....with our thoughts.
It does little good, and has little lasting effect, to try and change things from the outside. And the outside stuff is temporary at best, always changing. It is better to be more involved with what is going on inside of you and less attached to the outside.
In this culture, where we are taught to place more importance on appearances than on how we feel, this is sometimes a difficult task. I work with many people who find it extremely difficult to know what they are feeling and thinking.
However, it is imperative to begin at this level. Consider this formula: thoughts plus feelings equal power. When we think something with emotion behind it, we put power into it. And when we put power into it, we tend to manifest what we are thinking about.
So watch your thoughts. Change them if necessary. Watch your feelings. Focus on the thoughts and feelings you enjoy. Then watch enjoyable things happen in your life.