Finding reasons out there for the
multitude of things that go wrong in your life; judging or criticizing others for things you
allow in yourself; blaming others (or circumstances) for things you
justify in yourself, are all what many of us (myself included) do so very often
in the course of our daily lives. Because
it's always so much easier to see it out there.
Looking inside first is hard.
But it can become a habit. And the more you do it, the more you realize the
enormous degree of freedom it gives you because it signifies that you begin to
choose how to react, as opposed to needing to
find fault with or judge, or criticize, or look for reasons out there to
justify whatever it is that is going on.
Think of it this way: when you
do all those other things that allow you to avoid looking inside - how do you
feel? Is it not true that while you may feel you now have a justification for
whatever it is that is going on, you also don't really feel great? You may feel
slightly superior, which may give you an edge, but it's not actually something
that makes you feel good, is it?
Let's say you see a homeless
person on the street. Let's say you give that person some coins. And let's say
you feel sorry for him/her. But let's also say that all the while there is a
little voice in you saying why
can't he get a job? So here's the thing: perhaps he could get that
job, or perhaps not. But it's
not up to you to make that judgement call. That is his responsibility. Or his choice. But it is your choice to look inside
yourself to determine why you need to judge. And it is also your job to be
conscious enough about this in order to stop the judging and simply let be. It
is your job to grow your inner self to the point where you no longer judge (or
criticize or justify, etc.), because it is your growth
you are interested in, isn't it? Or do you concern yourself about the growth of
others while keeping yourself on a shelf of superiority that allows you to
avoid looking at yourself?
I know, this is not necessarily
fun stuff. But it's the stuff our potential growth is made of. Let's look at
another example. Let's say you make a point of eating healthy food. Nothing
processed. Mainly organic. No sugar. So now you are at the grocery store waiting
in line behind a rather stout couple with a shopping cart full of ... you know
... all that stuff
you wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole. And what thoughts course through your
mind? (Mine too ... as I often say, the things I write about are not because
I've surpassed all this mundane stuff and find myself floating on some
spiritual cloud, but precisely because I also have work to do). So the same
applies as in the example of the homeless person. It's not up to you to
make that judgement call. That is their responsibility. Or their choice. But it is your choice
to look inside yourself to determine why you need to judge. And it is also your
job to be conscious enough about this in order to stop the judging and simply
let be. It is your job to grow your inner self to the point where you no longer
judge (or criticize or justify, etc.), because it is your growth
you are interested in, isn't it? Or do you concern yourself about the growth of
others while keeping yourself on a shelf of superiority that allows you to
avoid looking at yourself?
So the choice to look inside first is a very important one. Don't let
yourself bypass it and take the easy road. At least not if you want to
grow.
Image: Tree sculpture by Keith Jennings: Tree Spirit
Image: Tree sculpture by Keith Jennings: Tree Spirit
***************
Also visit my book website: www.gabriellakortsch.com where you may download excerpts or read quotations from any of my books. My latest book Emotional Unavailability & Neediness: Two Sides of the Same Coin is available globally on Amazon in print & Kindle. You can also obtain it (or any of my other books) via Barnes & Noble.
Books by Dr. Gabriella Kortsch (English)
Angefangen mit Rewiring the Soul - auf Deutsch: Deine Seele und Du, jetzt weltweit erhaltbar als Taschenbuch oder Kindle E-Book (Blog hier), werden auch meine anderen Bücher in Zukunft auf Deutsch bei Amazon erhaltbar sein.
Note: If you are wondering why this blog is now only appearing on alternate days (excluding Sat/Sun), it is because I also post on my other blog on the others days. That other blog is Rewiring the Soul so named for my first book. Click here to visit the blog and/or to sign up for the feed.
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Books by Dr. Gabriella Kortsch (English)

Bücher von Dr. Gabriella Kortsch (Deutsch) ... JETZT bei Amazon (Taschenbuch oder E-Book) erhaltbar
DEINE SEELE UND DU
Libros por Gabriella Kortsch (español) ... próximamente en Amazon en versión bolsillo y E-Libro para Kindle
Empezando con Rewiring the Soul - en español: Reconectar con el Alma (blog aquí), se podrán encontrar mis libros en español por todo el mundo próximamente en Amazon.
My blog posts are also featured on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest & you can find me on Instagram