Today we ask that you acknowledge the ways in which you have changed for the good.
It is not uncommon to think that “people never change.” And it is true that many people do not change markedly in a lifetime. This is especially true when they are very rooted in their tribe, family, and culture, and do not question the the beliefs with which they were indoctrinated as children.
However, many people have begun the process of rebuilding and reshaping themselves into ones who are free from their genetic, familial, tribal, and cultural conditioning. Unprecedented numbers of people are realizing that they do not have to be just like their parents, and do not have to live lives rooted in fear, scarcity, tribalism, and victim consciousness.
Most of you reading these words are such people.
But it is very easy even for spiritually open people to still be hard on themselves.
You hold up the idea of the spiritually liberated person, and you attack yourself for not measuring up.
Why are you not peaceful and calm all the time? Why do you still have so much conflict and drama in your life? Why are you not more financially abundant? Why are you not more “successful” — in an evolved way, of course.
This is a very sneaky way in which your egoic conditioning likes to creep in and undermine what you are doing. You are not spiritual enough! You’re no Buddha, no enlightened one. You’re still as messy and reactive as any messed-up, reactive human.
Of course you are. Because you are human, like it or not.
All of you reading these words have already come a long, long way. Much farther than you may think.
And if you you sit with this, you will see it is true. If you think about who you used to be five, ten, twenty years ago (and do not listen to your critical inner voice), you will see that you really have changed for the better.
It is good to spend time acknowledging all the very good work you have done. This encourages you to keep doing it, instead of throwing up your hands and saying: “It’s hopeless, I give up, I’ll never be evolved, I’ll never be enlightened.”
Such doubts are actually extremely commonplace when you are right at the threshold of taking a very big step.
And many of you are in such a place right now. You are right at the threshold of taking a very big step.
So if you are assailed by self-doubt, take it as a sign that you are going in the right direction.
And honor how far you’ve come.
wordfromthewell 