I see myself in YOU. So say the wise gurus.
So if this is how we’re designed, why is it hard to accept qualities we don’t like in others? Why are we unaccepting of life events? And why also do we have such a hard time with self-empathy, unaccepting of our own qualities?
There is the little thing called Ego that grows as much as we nurture it.
The Ego tells us we deserve something different from reality. The ego isn’t our enemy though. It is the Ego that makes us reach for the impossible, surpass our expectations, and do more. But the quality of the Ego is dependent on what it is fed.
And what feeds the ego? The Intellect – it has noted all the beliefs, experiences, memories, conditioning, culture, and environment into neat little slots. It’s all about what it KNOWS. And if you think about it, we know so very little. In the context of the Cosmos, we know pretty much nothing. So the Intellect is quite limited.
The Mind’s job is to support the intellect, always reconfirming a belief or bias. It tells us what is right or wrong, what is acceptable, and what isn’t. It creates feelings or emotions which decide how we respond to ourselves, others and situations.
The Heart though seeks Love and Connection – as is the inherent nature of humankind. When Ego is strong, there is separation. And separation erodes our compassion.
When Acceptance is high, there is flow and freedom and lightness. When there is acceptance, there is joy and compassion.