Imagine standing at the edge of the ocean. You have a small container in your hands, and you’re ready to take in the vastness of the sea. But here’s the catch: the size of your container limits how much water you can carry. No matter how vast the ocean is, you can only take with you what your container can hold. The bigger the container, the more it can carry, and the more it can experience.

This metaphor is a powerful reflection of how our lives work. Our achievements, our capacity to experience joy, peace, and success, are directly limited by the size of our inner container — our ability to perceive, believe, and receive. The larger our mental and spiritual container, the more we can receive from life, the greater our experiences will be, and the more we can accomplish in the physical world.

Grandmaster WaXhira of the Sacred Atlantean Brotherhood teaches, “Your life is a reflection of your inner container. If you fill your container with small beliefs, limiting thoughts, and fears, you will only be able to carry a small portion of what the universe has to offer. But when you expand your inner capacity to perceive, to believe, and to receive, the universe will pour forth its abundance into your life.”

The Container of Belief

Everything in life is governed by belief. Belief is the shape and size of your inner container. If you believe that the world is a place of limitation, scarcity, and hardship, then your container will be small, and you will only experience the world through those lenses. You will filter your experiences through the belief that life is restrictive, and thus, your achievements and potential will be limited by those beliefs.

However, if you choose to expand your belief system — if you begin to believe in your infinite potential, in abundance, in love, and in possibility — your container grows. You begin to see life differently. You begin to see opportunities where others see obstacles. You begin to believe in your ability to create and achieve, and the universe responds accordingly.

In Saying 2 of the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus said, “Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will reign over the All.” This teaching reminds us that the search for truth and spiritual wisdom is about expanding our internal capacity — our container — to receive greater understanding and knowledge. The more we seek, the larger our container becomes, and as we expand, we are able to reign over our lives, mastering our thoughts, actions, and experiences.

The Container of Perception

The size of your container also governs your perception of the world. Perception is the lens through which we view everything in our lives — our relationships, our career, our spiritual journey. If your container is small, you will perceive the world through a narrow lens. You may see others as competitors, view the world as hostile, or believe that resources are scarce. You will see only what your container allows you to see, and your experiences will be confined to that narrow scope.

On the other hand, if your inner container is large, you will perceive the world as abundant, full of opportunity, and rich in possibility. You will see potential in every situation and every person you meet. You will recognize that the world is a reflection of your own inner state, and as you grow and expand, the world around you will begin to mirror that expansion. Your ability to see the interconnectedness of all things increases, and you become more open to receiving the gifts life has to offer.