man vs. self
the power of self-authorship
Stories, frames, windows, perspectives. We each choose where to look in every moment and so necessarily we are not looking somewhere else. One story I have about the universe is that it reflects back to you whatever story you have about it. Is right now the good times or the hard times? Here’s how I see it:
If there is a war inside me, may the good win. I notice competing bids for my attention and my recurring task is to reach out towards the highest good, to love everyone and tell the truth, to know what is true. Admittedly, the wars outside of myself intimidate me, and so I mostly abstain. I want to believe that discarding everything from me that is not my authentic expression is a way to serve the highest good, and so I don’t need to berate myself for not doing more to aid those in need of aid. Loving everyone includes me.
I am my closest friend, my own loving witness. By keeping myself resourced and grounded and present, I am better able to look at the world around me without flinching. I can give myself a better understanding of the global puzzle in progress as it looks right now, and better sense the contours of my own puzzle piece. I study the dance while I dance the dance.
One part of me feels the feelings and one part of me witnesses, and together they dance the dance. They look upon reality’s multitudes and recognize the futility in finding one story to explain it all. They are strong and they grow stronger. They show up every day and they are grateful for the privilege to do so. It is a joyful occasion to forget this, because they will get to remember it again.