You know when you see a really great magic trick? It looks so real, but you can't figure it out.
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It's amazing, yeah? Fascinating. Awe-inspiring, even!
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Now, do you beat yourself up because you've been fooled by it?
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Do you think that it says something about ‘the kind of person you are’?
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I'm guessing not.
Remember this, the next time you get fooled into believing your thinking.
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It's amazing. Fascinating. Awe-inspiring… and a trillion times more convincing than all the magic tricks in the world put together.
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So you are going to fall for it. Time and again. It's as certain as death and taxes. And when you do, your resulting behaviour will be… less than optimal.
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So next time you get fooled by thought, go easy on yourself. This is the human condition. You can't escape it. But you can learn to see it for what it is: a magic trick.
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Seeing its nature—of how easily we're fooled—is the source of forgiveness. Of yourself, and of others.
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Seeing how it works—for us all, in exactly the same way—is the source of compassion.
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And every single time you see through its sleight of hand and fall back into the present moment… that is the source of gratitude.
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Forgiveness, compassion, gratitude… these aren't things you have to work at. They're not something you do. They simply show up, automatically, when you remember… that it's just a magic trick.
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Giles