The other day I wrote about how I used to get mad with myself when I forgot what I’d gone upstairs for, and these days I don’t.
You see, it’s just a mind, doing what minds do, forgetting what minds forget. It’s doing its best, but in these situations any anger I feel is essentially the mind having an argument with itself, and I tend not to get involved in all that any more.
It’s creating a story that it doesn’t like, and getting shook up as a result.
(Minds! What are they like?! 🤷🏻♂️)
Then someone asked me a question about how to forgive stuff that they’d done in the past, and it got me thinking.
Isn’t it the exact same thing? 🧐
I mean, it looks much bigger, doesn’t it? Forgetting to bring that pair of socks downstairs vs. having done something that really hurt someone?
How can they be the same?!
But what if—when we did that thing—the mind was doing its best? Our behaviours stem from thoughts & feelings and we’ve established that you don’t get to choose any of those, so… erm, you couldn’t have done any different?? 😬
(Sorry to break it to you.)
And here, now, in this moment (which is all you get, remember?) any guilt we feel is just a mind, doing what minds do, judging how minds judge.
It’s creating a story that it doesn’t like, having an argument with itself and getting shook up a result.
How about you stop getting involved in all that?
This is pretty much how I responded to the question, and after some reflection, this came back, along with a fair bit of relief:
Minds! What are they like?! 🤷🏻♂️
I’m reminded of that wonderful Syd Banks quote:
“Everyone is doing the best they can, given the thinking they have that looks real to them.”
You included.
Have a restful day… not getting involved.
💟
Giles
Previously…
Giles P Croft