Guiding Thought

I am the Light of Love. Light saturates my mind and body, surrounding every thought, and radiating out to All. Everything radiates Light in return. Everywhere is Light. I rest in Peace, Being Light.

Reflection

Have you ever thought, “What if everything I think is true is false?” or “What if everything I believe is wrong?”?

I ask myself such questions sometimes to keep me on my toes.

For everything I believe, or for everything I think is true, there is someone who believes the opposite, or thinks that I’m wrong. But it’s also more than that.

There are people who have been in long term relationships, even marriages, who wake up one day to find that everything they had been believing in, and building their lives on, was not what they had thought. The other person did not feel the same way–and suddenly the relationship was over. I know people who have gone through this.

I wonder–in my current relationship–what would I do, if this was all false? What if I were to become one of those people who wakes up one day to find my life turned upside down?

So, you see…this is a fairly practical reason to keep myself on my toes and ask “what if things aren’t what I think they are”.

This is not an exercise to promote fear or suspicion–I hope it does not come across that way. It is, rather, an exercise in expanding how I live, think, and make choices.

People do not always share the same opinions, the same perspective, the same understanding–even when it seems like they do. People are people, living the best way they can. Not everyone is honest with other people. Not everyone is honest with themselves. Sometimes people are simply uninformed. Sometimes they are taught something that is not correct. Sometimes they stand adamantly by something they have learned, without even thinking they could be wrong.

That is why, sometimes, I play this game, wondering “what if I’m wrong?” I give myself that space, that option. I play it out in my head…what would I do if I am wrong?

There are two ways then, to approach this: 1) Would I regret my actions from the past, if I found out everything I thought was wrong? 2) Would I change my future if I learned something I believed was wrong?

As for #1: If I woke up tomorrow and found out that my relationship was not what I thought it was, would I regret anything? Would I think I had wasted my time? Would I feel resentful? No. I would not change anything. Of course, life would change because I would no longer make the same choices, but I would not regret anything about the past.

As for #2: I just learned that some things (spiritual practices) that I have been doing have been “incorrect”. I am in no way a traditionalist, and I have learned my practices mostly through reading and practicing. But in these, I either had not read enough to find more-correct information, or I missed it if I did read it. What I thought was correct- isn’t. I feel a bit embarrassed and angry with myself…but how was I to know? I was ignorant, uninformed; I was doing the best I could with who I am and what I have. Now I feel like I must change my behavior; I must forego habits that I have developed for years and do something new and different. Will I see a difference? Do these spiritual practices make that much of a difference? (FYI: I generally believe that what is in my heart is what translates to the Divine, and my heart has been in the right place. I also believe the Divine is very forgiving!)

What is “right”? How do we learn? What do we do when we are wrong? Can we change? Can we grow? Can we do something different?

Change is the only constant. Being “right” or “wrong” is part of that territory.

I may be wrong, but…

There are things that I believe in so strongly that they are the cornerstones to my personal philosophy, and they help to assuage me, when I find I am wrong, and I need to evolve my thoughts, actions, or beliefs.

1. Living with pure intentions establishes all actions in the right (higher) direction.
2. Love does not mislead. Anything done with Love is worthwhile. Doing things with Love is a way to live with no regrets.
3. The heart is the best guide. People can only make decisions for what is true and right for them at any given moment. This is the best we can do.
4. Learning matters. When I am willing to learn–even if it means acknowledging that I’ve learned something “wrong” in the past–I can learn and grow into better and better versions of myself.