HOPE

Step back from what you think about it and feel about it. Look carefully and more clearly at the reality of what is. Your mind is powerful and highly useful, and that's mostly a good thing. Yet your thoughts have so much influence that they can distort your perceptions. For example, your thoughts can convince you that the whole world is in a hopeless mess. Yet at the same time the reality of your situation can be just fine, and normal, even pleasant.

It's not a good idea to ignore your thoughts. It is smart, however, to keep in mind that your thoughts and feelings have an influence on everything you experience..You can never be completely objective, and would not want to be. What you can do is remind yourself that your perspective is not the only valid perspective. If it were not for your thoughts about things, how would things be? Balance involvement with detachment, and get a clearer picture. Competence is what keeps you alive. Across all species, across all environments, across all time, life is defined and made possible by achievement, ability, competence.

If you have food on your plate it is because of competence. If you are sheltered from stormy weather you have competence to thank. Love, compassion, and kindness are essential to a good and meaningful life, yet they are not sufficient. If you are to give your love, if you are to offer your care, you must be alive to do so, and that is possible only with competence. Life has boundless possibilities but it also has very specific requirements.