Who has suffered from the affliction of pride? Perhaps you were having a conversation with someone, and you said something, held a particular point of view. And as the conversation turned into an argument, you heard less and less of what the other person had to say because you are more and more concerned about proving your own point. And perhaps there was a point in time you realize what the other person is saying made a lot of sense, but because you have defended your own position for so long, you are unwilling to admit that maybe you are changing your mind a little bit. I think it happens to all of us at least sometimes.
But what's the use of being so high up in our throne, holding on to old ways of thinking and doing, just so we could continue to keep an identity we've invested so much time in? You see, we all have made mistakes. We all have said something insensitive. We all have hurt others. And no matter how hard we try, we will continue to make mistakes in the future. Because we are human! But we can respond differently to our mistakes, to our pride, to our need to be right and validate ourselves. We can let go of all of that, and through loving kindness, be willing to change!
Most of us are familiar with the song "Amazing Grace". Do you know that there's a beautiful story of change and redemption behind this song? The song was written by John Newton, a British slave trader. For many years, he sold human slaves because it was legal and normal and acceptable. He held on to that view and take the same actions for many years. On a homeward journey, a violent storm hit, and he would later refer to this point in time as his "deliverance". And although it wasn't until much later that he renounced the slave trade, when he did, he owned up to the full horror of it. In the song, there's a line that goes "I once was lost, but now am found". When we open ourselves to the light of love, when we shift our perspective, magic happens. When we change our minds, what we lose is not our true identity, but only a false sense of self. And like the song said, we don't lose ourselves for being open, we in fact find ourselves. We begin to see.
But what's the use of being so high up in our throne, holding on to old ways of thinking and doing, just so we could continue to keep an identity we've invested so much time in? You see, we all have made mistakes. We all have said something insensitive. We all have hurt others. And no matter how hard we try, we will continue to make mistakes in the future. Because we are human! But we can respond differently to our mistakes, to our pride, to our need to be right and validate ourselves. We can let go of all of that, and through loving kindness, be willing to change!
Most of us are familiar with the song "Amazing Grace". Do you know that there's a beautiful story of change and redemption behind this song? The song was written by John Newton, a British slave trader. For many years, he sold human slaves because it was legal and normal and acceptable. He held on to that view and take the same actions for many years. On a homeward journey, a violent storm hit, and he would later refer to this point in time as his "deliverance". And although it wasn't until much later that he renounced the slave trade, when he did, he owned up to the full horror of it. In the song, there's a line that goes "I once was lost, but now am found". When we open ourselves to the light of love, when we shift our perspective, magic happens. When we change our minds, what we lose is not our true identity, but only a false sense of self. And like the song said, we don't lose ourselves for being open, we in fact find ourselves. We begin to see.
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