by Isha Judd -
A newlywed couple moved to an apartment in a very busy neighborhood. On the first morning in their new home, after she had made coffee, the young bride looked through the window and watched her neighbor hanging sheets out to dry. What dirty sheets! she thought to herself. Maybe she needs to buy a different kind of detergent. I should go and teach her how to wash them properly.
Every few days, she muttered the same thing to her husband with disdain while watching her neighbor hanging out the dirty laundry in the early-morning light.
A month passed, and one day the young wife was surprised to see that her neighbor was hanging out perfectly clean sheets. She exclaimed to her husband, “Look! She finally learned to wash her clothes. I wonder who taught her how.”
The husband replied, “Well in reality, darling, the only difference is that I got up early this morning and cleaned the window.”
Each of us has been looking through a window all our lives. Tainted by the beliefs and ideas we have adopted from the past, its distorted surface creates our world and governs our perception of the universe.
In most cases, our windows are covered in the grime and dust of a lifetime, clouding our vision, blocking the light of the truth from view.
WINDOW OF THE MIND
The window of the mind becomes dirty when the subconscious is full of self-criticism and fear-based opinions. Unfortunately, this is the case for many of us — erratic, incessant thoughts are our constant companions.
Our adult minds are in perpetual chaos and contradiction. Our thoughts jostle endlessly for our attention, as we jump from one distraction to another. This incessant thinking affects our entire nervous system.
We seldom feel complete in the present moment. In the modern world, people at all levels of society and in every walk of life struggle with a feeling of underlying dissatisfaction and unrest. We often find ourselves yearning for something more — no matter what we have achieved in our lives, the fulfillment we so desire remains elusive.
Many of us find that our attention constantly gravitates toward what is wrong with our lives.
We hardly ever focus on appreciating all the wonderful things we have; instead we habitually criticize our surroundings, blaming the outside for our discontent. We are seldom in the present moment long enough to embrace the magic of the now.
So how do we reverse this?
How do we clean our window, and rediscover the beauty of the present moment?
FANATICISM OR FREEDOM?
One of the greatest tricks of the mind that keeps us in suffering is the need to be right. It’s the cause of so much conflict in the world, because when we are attached to being right, we put our point of view above love, above peace, above compassion. I need to be right.
Not only that, but I also need you to realize that I’m right. I need you to agree with me; then I can be happy. Because my idea, is better than your idea. My idea is more evolved, my idea is more just, my idea is more brilliant; your idea is not good!
This kind of thinking can spiral out of control: My idea is better than your idea; in fact, my god is better than your god. Your god’s got problems. I read your book, and your god isn’t the same as my god.
My god is much more just, he has better ideas, and he’s the only god. I have a good god; you have a bad god. You’re fanatical about your god, and you’re affecting our freedom! So we’ll have to bomb you. That will fix the freedom! But we’re doing it in the name of god!
You create your own reality. You decide what you’re going to choose for. You can choose for the fear, or you can choose for the love.
You can make that choice in every moment, and you can surrender to what is in every moment. Does that mean that “bad” things won’t happen? No.
It’s not about that; it’s about how you’re being within every situation.
That’s the question. How you’re being. So choose for the love. When you choose for the love, everything comes in abundance.
We hope for a world free from conflict, but don’t wait for the world to change. Change yourself, and then you will be contributing in the most profound and effective way to a peaceful planet.
whywalkwhenyoucanfly.com
Every few days, she muttered the same thing to her husband with disdain while watching her neighbor hanging out the dirty laundry in the early-morning light.
A month passed, and one day the young wife was surprised to see that her neighbor was hanging out perfectly clean sheets. She exclaimed to her husband, “Look! She finally learned to wash her clothes. I wonder who taught her how.”
The husband replied, “Well in reality, darling, the only difference is that I got up early this morning and cleaned the window.”
Each of us has been looking through a window all our lives. Tainted by the beliefs and ideas we have adopted from the past, its distorted surface creates our world and governs our perception of the universe.
In most cases, our windows are covered in the grime and dust of a lifetime, clouding our vision, blocking the light of the truth from view.
WINDOW OF THE MIND
The window of the mind becomes dirty when the subconscious is full of self-criticism and fear-based opinions. Unfortunately, this is the case for many of us — erratic, incessant thoughts are our constant companions.
Our adult minds are in perpetual chaos and contradiction. Our thoughts jostle endlessly for our attention, as we jump from one distraction to another. This incessant thinking affects our entire nervous system.
We seldom feel complete in the present moment. In the modern world, people at all levels of society and in every walk of life struggle with a feeling of underlying dissatisfaction and unrest. We often find ourselves yearning for something more — no matter what we have achieved in our lives, the fulfillment we so desire remains elusive.
Many of us find that our attention constantly gravitates toward what is wrong with our lives.
We hardly ever focus on appreciating all the wonderful things we have; instead we habitually criticize our surroundings, blaming the outside for our discontent. We are seldom in the present moment long enough to embrace the magic of the now.
So how do we reverse this?
How do we clean our window, and rediscover the beauty of the present moment?
FANATICISM OR FREEDOM?
One of the greatest tricks of the mind that keeps us in suffering is the need to be right. It’s the cause of so much conflict in the world, because when we are attached to being right, we put our point of view above love, above peace, above compassion. I need to be right.
Not only that, but I also need you to realize that I’m right. I need you to agree with me; then I can be happy. Because my idea, is better than your idea. My idea is more evolved, my idea is more just, my idea is more brilliant; your idea is not good!
This kind of thinking can spiral out of control: My idea is better than your idea; in fact, my god is better than your god. Your god’s got problems. I read your book, and your god isn’t the same as my god.
My god is much more just, he has better ideas, and he’s the only god. I have a good god; you have a bad god. You’re fanatical about your god, and you’re affecting our freedom! So we’ll have to bomb you. That will fix the freedom! But we’re doing it in the name of god!
You create your own reality. You decide what you’re going to choose for. You can choose for the fear, or you can choose for the love.
You can make that choice in every moment, and you can surrender to what is in every moment. Does that mean that “bad” things won’t happen? No.
It’s not about that; it’s about how you’re being within every situation.
- Are you being love within the injustice?
- Are you being truth within the injustice?
- Are you taking off your masks and moving through your fears?
- Are you choosing for the highest point you can be in each moment?
That’s the question. How you’re being. So choose for the love. When you choose for the love, everything comes in abundance.
We hope for a world free from conflict, but don’t wait for the world to change. Change yourself, and then you will be contributing in the most profound and effective way to a peaceful planet.
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