|
Today's
Meditation:
It
sometimes amazes me--and saddens me--how strongly my
perspective is affected by my moods. I don't know
how many times I've glanced in disdain at a beautiful
landscape because I was feeling down; how many times I
snapped at another person or judged them harshly because I
was feeling frustrated myself. It's never been fair
to the other people, nor has it been fair to me to allow
myself to miss the chance to ponder great beauty or say
something kind, considerate, and/or encouraging to a
fellow human being.
When
we have feelings that keep us from seeing the world for
the miraculous place that it is, why is it so difficult to
keep those feelings to ourselves? Why must we judge
things outside of ourselves so harshly when the true
problem is the discord inside ourselves?
When
we're frustrated or depressed, our imaginations tend to
sharpen and magnify all of our problems. We imagine
that people are angry at us, that someone has harmed us,
that they deserve a harsh reprimand or a sarcastic
comeback.
But
that's just what we imagine when our minds are focused on
ourselves because of our own suffering. Simone is
saying that during those times, it's important that we
recognize what's going on, for only when we do so will we be
able to keep ourselves from doing things that we most
certainly will regret later. Awareness of our own
states is one of the most valuable qualities that we can
develop, for that awareness can serve as a wonderful filter
that keeps the negative from leaving us when we can least
afford to be spreading it.
|
