Naked and the Same
What if the world you live in right now was filled with people who were just like you - born naked and the same?
Well the fact is you do live in a world like that. We were all born NAKED and the SAME. However, because we are all interpreting our world through our own eyes, we have created a reality that reflects what we see, hear and do.
Let’s take a typical example. You decide you need groceries so you go to the corner store or supermarket. You go through the aisles, all the while thinking about what you need, when you will use it, who will eat what you buy - all the while that mind of yours is working overtime to think of what is required. You are so distracted that you don’t notice the other people around you, you don’t notice the smells or the textures of everything. You’re on autopilot doing that job that has to be done.
Suddenly, you hear a huge commotion at the counter. One of the customers is accusing the checkout operator of overcharging them. They are upset, angry and rude. The checkout operator calls the supervisor, they give the customer a refund, the customer storms out angry and pissed off. This incident has distracted you from your thoughts. You feel the emotions of the interaction. Your eyes follow the customer out of the shop noticing their shoulders slump as they leave the store. You look back at the counter and see the check out operator square their shoulders for the next customer encounter. You start to make up a story about the incident because that’s what the mind does. It will interpret for you what has happened.
Maybe the loss of a loved one has fueled the incident causing pressure. Maybe money is the issue. Maybe they are just rude like everyone else. Do you see how your mind will decide for you and will make up a scenario that fits with your belief system? If you believe all people are naturally angry and greedy and self-centered you will think that person was just a rude person, the check out operator has no compassion and the world is too money orientated. If you believe all people are kind and self-less you will feel compassion for all involved. It’s all up to your beliefs about the world and your place in it. Ultimately, a belief is a thought you keep thinking. How you interpret the world is up to you - you control how you react at any given moment.
Or what about this. How often have you driven somewhere and not remembered how you got to your destination because your mind was doing the thinking for you? Your mind has over 60,000 thoughts per day. It’s no wonder you’re tried at the end of the day with all those thoughts running around your mind, interpreting your world, making up stories and generally running your life.
What if you could live with more intention? What if you could control those thoughts so that they served you rather than hurt you?
Try doing this next time your mind is on autopilot or is taking you down a road that makes you feel disempowered, lonely or afraid. Become the observer of those thoughts. Just observe them like watching a cloud go across a sky. Just step back and observe what your mind is serving up to you. Observe the thoughts. No judgement. No emotion. Just observe. It’s not an easy practice but it’s a worthwhile one.
