“If a man realizes who he is, he will not be envious of others or condemn them because he knows his own value, uniqueness and peculiar contribution”

-Sunday Adelaja

One of the daily practices I’ve taken to heart, because I used to take things so personally, is to live by this motto:

Don’t confuse a difference of opinion with condemnation.

I see so much divisiveness in the world, and there seems to be no end to the degree to which we can seem divided and act out based on that frame of mind. It’s sad really, and sometimes I feel it’s out of my control. I feel helpless, and resigned to experience a life that limited to the little petty things out there.

What I realize is this… I cannot feel that way unless I am not tending to a deeper understanding of life as the unfolding cooperation of the infinite by means of creation. What does that mean? Well, when I take the time to look more closely at what is all around me I can see harmony, and a natural world in balance. What that tells me is that balance is the natural state of life. I connect more deeply with the core of my being, which is of God. There is no separation from me and the rest of the balance in nature, unless I allow it. So I must rethink my habit (and it is a habit) to condemn those who disagree with me. I don’t need to take it personally and I don’t need to react by launching personal attacks.

It’s a practice. I practice this every day, because I am faced with differences of opinion everyday. There is room for all of it. I step out of my own way and trust in the flow.

So what do I do about all I see in the world that seems out of my control? Well, I trust that I am a beacon of what can be, civility, compassion, and cooperation. It begins with me. I must be those things if I expect to experience them in my world.