“We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.” — The Talmud
What a profound quote of awakening if we dare to be honest about how we see ourselves. For instance, if you have a negative outlook on life then skepticism will prevent you from not trusting others. If you were betrayed in a relationship then bitterness may cause you to believe that “all men and women cheat” which clearly isn’t the case. If you think your way is the best and only way, when others make decisions you may become judgmental. I am sure that all of us can admit to our egos committing some of these offenses. We see things based on where we are along our journey. Things will have a distorted view if we have not healed from past hurt or if we’ve yet to discover our authentic self.
Take a moment to answer these questions…Are you happy? Do you have a real love relationship? Is your partner as committed to the relationship as you are?(this is not a maybe or sometimes answer-it’s a definitive yes or no because we sometimes ignore or suppress the truth that our gut & intuition tells us) Do you need another person in your life to make you happy? Do you really like your partner, your job, or your friends? Do you find yourself in a revolving door of unhealthy relationships due to the fear of being alone? Have you truly forgiven those who hurt you or does your heart still carry resentment? Are you manipulative and controlling when things don’t turn out the way you prefer and deflect or deceptively say things to benefit your own self interest…”I gave up my life for you” or “remember when I forgave you?”(but in actuality you didn’t because you continue to bring up the same reminder in every conversation or disagreement). Do you constantly remind others about the financial contributions you’ve given to establish financial superiority? Do you find yourself gossiping more than encouraging? Do you envy others when they experience success in their career and relationships, or are you just as happy for them as if it was your own success? Are you a passive person who people take advantage of or are you so combative that people avoid being around you? Do you become defensive when constructive criticism is expressed? Do you apologize when you’re wrong in order to rectify the situation?
Self reflection can be hard to admit but the inability to be honest about where you are causes you to believe and view others through a lens from your personal pain, long standing grudges, and negative thoughts. Anything that interferes with the need to accept and acknowledge the choices you’ve made or allowed, as well as the lack of understanding of who God equipped you to be in strength, power, and intellect delays the revealing of your authentic self. As you awaken and remove superficial societal masks, release yourself from fear, guilt, shame, and doubt-you can begin seeing things as I Corinthians 13 eloquently and beautifully defines…“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…” This is authenticity at its finest because it’s who God created you to be and how He wants you to see things and others. When you reach this state of awareness along your journey, you won’t be interested in the need to judge, convince or control because you”ll see things exactly as they are.
Until The Next Blog,
Blessings & Love