Separated By Thought - August 26

If you ever feel a sense of being alone or not belonging, then start to notice the power of thought in your life. In today's 5 Minutes in Nature, Liz is exploring how a sense of separation is exacerbated when we fuel stories of judgement, difference, right and wrong. Today's reflection is to notice that there is no answer in the story, instead bring your awareness within.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to Five Minutes in Nature with me, Liz Scott. I'm walking down a Devon Lane and it's a high banked lane. It's in the evening, It's lovely and cool after many, Many days of heat. And this banked, High banked lane has got a little bit of greenery on either side, Even though we've had a very, Very dry summer. The moss is still clinging on, Although it's not that wonderful, Rich, Damp moss. It's more dried out, But it's still green. There are ferns on the sides of the lane as well so there's a real sense of a little bit of greenery albeit not the wild greenery that we often get in our wet damp summers. And today's reflection is all about separation. It's all about what happens when we believe our thinking to be true. And it came about when my husband came home after playing a game of golf and he was a bit unsettled. And he told the story of how he had been with this group of golfers and they had become very loud and judgmental and prejudiced in the way that they were talking about different groups of people. He just felt very uncomfortable being around this kind of conversation. And what he noticed is that they were getting deeper and deeper into their conversations, Agreeing with each other and fueling the flame of these conversations so that they accentuated this feeling of separateness that they were feeling from others. They were judging other groups of people. And my husband couldn't take it so he just got up and made his excuses and left the conversation. But it got me thinking about what's going on and it's really useful to understand what's going on when it comes to this sense of separation we can feel. If you don't understand what's going on with thought and thinking and if you don't understand that the stories that you create and other people create have this sense of separation that occurs with them. It's like when you have a story about being different or being better than or being justified or being a hero or being a victim. If you have stories that have that at their heart then what happens is is you accentuate the differences between you and someone else. You just see the differences rather than seeing that which connects you all. The way I imagine it is that if I have judgmental thoughts and I get lost in a thought loop about that, It's like I'm building a castle wall around me. I'm building this sense of me being separate, Me being better than, Me being different than others. And so it's really helpful to understand what's going on. Because if you don't understand what's going on, You will believe your thinking. And the other thing which is really useful as well is just to realize that you have always a deeper intelligence, A deeper wisdom, A guide that will nudge you in the right direction. So, For example, With my husband, He was with this group of people. He felt very uncomfortable. He didn't want to contribute to the conversation. He didn't want to condone the conversation. And his wisdom just had him get up, Apologize and leave. That was wisdom in action. If you don't realize what's going on, If you believe your thinking, Or if you fuel your thinking, Or if you try and get other people to change their thinking, All that's happening is like the equivalent of building up those castle walls higher and higher. You just increase the sense of separation. So today's reflection is just about that. It's just noticing for yourself what's going on. I don't have any easy, Quick answers about how people knock down those walls of separation. I'd love to know your reflections on it for yourself. Maybe you've got some reflections and ideas on how we can increase that sense of connection in the world, That sense of looking towards that which connects us all rather than that which separates us. But what I do want you to realize is that you're thinking, If you get caught out in that thinking of yours, And if you start to feel separate and different from others, Then you are looking in the wrong direction. You are fueling separation. There are no answers in fueling separation. So bring your awareness back to your intuition, Back to that wisdom, Back to that place of peace of mind. And find a way of connecting and listening to wisdom seeing what is the next nourishing step for you to take in whatever you're going through. I'd love to know your reflections on this. And of course, Don't forget to join me again tomorrow for another five minutes in nature.

Reviews

Good morning Liz. The feeling of separation between us, Canada and them, the United States is growing stronger during as it has been called Trade Wars between the two countries.

There are so many feelings and reactions and consequences due to this. The stories our nation's people must be making up about them is growing a distance between us.

After decades of relative peaceful coexistence this fracture. I have no answer but if I remember that people are generally kind perhaps this too shall pass and we will come back towards a more harmonious relationship.

Thanks Liz. ✌️❤️