From Judgment To Connection - May 02

When we get caught up in our stories, fearful thinking can take hold before we even notice. In 5 Minutes in Nature, Liz reflects on how easy it is to become entrenched in feelings of right and wrong — and how, when we look beyond those judgements, we find something far greater. A place of love and compassion where we remember we are not separate, but deeply connected to one another.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to Five Minutes in Nature with me Liz Scott. The trees above me up here on Dartmoor are right beside an old granite wall and the trees beside the wall are just coming into leaf. This is an oak tree above me and the leaves are this wonderful lime green soft leaves with serrated edges just breathing their way into the world and today is a lovely spring day up here on Dartmoor. It's one of those days that makes me feel good to be alive and today's reflection is very much about the trap of thought and thinking and stories and what happens when we get lost in thought and thinking and stories and it relates to something in our village. We have a group, An online forum. I'm not actually part of it, I don't really enjoy social media however there is an online forum and sometimes my husband will point out things that are going on in the village and he pointed it out today. There's a piece of land in the village that is designated that it's not to be used for ball games, In other words children shouldn't be allowed to play on it and somebody put up a child's goalpost on this piece of land. I mean it's a lovely area if you were a parent or a child you'd think this is the best place in the world to play and anyway there's been a little bit of a furore in the in the village about whether this goalpost should be there or not and people saying it'd be great if children can play and other people saying yes but the rules are the rules and well you can imagine the sort of conversation and debate that goes on. As I was listening to it and kind of thinking oh I wonder what my opinion is on this I kind of realised something very true or very important it felt for me to see and that was the power of thought to create scenarios and stories that have us feel separate and this is a great example of one. It's either you're on one side or the other, You either think that children should be allowed to play on this piece of ground or you believe that the rules are the rules and they shouldn't be able to play on this piece of ground and I find that taking those entrenched positions doesn't really get anyone anywhere. It's like a tug of war. Do you know what I mean by a tug of war? It's a rope that you have two teams on either side of this rope and they are pulling each other and the rope is being pulled between them and they're trying to shift the other team so that they move and buckle under the power of the other team that's pulling the rope but ultimately what happens in a tug of war if you watch it is a lot of energy is expended and neither team goes anywhere really they just waste a lot of energy and go nowhere fast and that's sometimes what can happen when we get lost in thought and stories is we expend a lot of energy defending our corner and feel righteously right about it but ultimately we're not getting anywhere and when I say we're not getting anywhere that place of anywhere I'm referring to is that place of connection that place of realization that we're all one that we are all love but that is the core of who we all are and that is the essence and energy from which we all arise so the illusion of separation that sense that we're all separate beings creates fear and anxiety and a feeling that you've got to defend or attack and then a realization that we're all one and that we are sourced from this place of love and compassion and kindness means that we see the world in a very different way so today is just a reminder of the power of thought and how it has that power to really take us off balance and to see things from an entrenched view of right and wrong and as far as I can see there is no solution in the right or wrong there is no way forward it's it's wasting a lot of energy getting nowhere like that tug of war it's when you realize the truth of who you are and you realize the truth of who everybody is then from that place we find a way to move forward together and we find a way of moving forward together in love let me know your reflections on today's piece which is all about the power of thought and how it can create stories that separate us and let me know your reflections on what it is to get back in touch with who you are in touch with that place of compassion and love and don't forget to join me again tomorrow where I'll be back with another five minutes in nature

Reviews

You’re so right that so much energy is wasted in pushing against something or someone. I like the way you called it “entrenched positions”. These days, I’m trying to move towards what I want … instead of pushing against what I don’t want.

Two things from today's episode. I love the scene. I am curious if you think someone planted the tree in your image of it grew of its own accord where the seed was dropped by a force of nature.

Second the tug o war is an interesting analogy. The flag in the middle of the rope is tugged to and fro from the energy of each side.

I can see you as the flag (mediator) using wellbeing listening to help each side hear the other. You allowing the flag to slide on the continuum until each side is heard.

What are your thoughts? Thanks Liz. ✌️❤️😌