In everything that I've said so far,
And again part of the difficulty here is,
You know,
I'm talking into a camera.
I don't really know who I'm talking to.
I don't know where you're at.
But if you can see what I'm pointing to in some way,
Then we can take a few more steps forward and look at this more deeply.
Maybe we can find some clarity or truth that helps us see our pain and our story more clearly.
Which might lead us to the realization that this doesn't need to hurt as much as it hurts.
Which is also like saying,
We don't need to be as afraid as we are.
Even though it's perfectly fine if those things are there.
Just in this initial discovery,
If you can see it,
That has to help to some degree.
That I'm not suffering over a circumstance.
I'm suffering over a narrative that's playing out in my mind.
That's like a record on repeat.
Which is helpful because we realize that it's not coming from the outside.
It's not coming from the past or something that you no longer have control over.
That it's arising from within you and it's simply an innocent misunderstanding that puts so much more power back into your hands.
But of course we have to acknowledge the truth which also invites a flavor of forgiveness.
And this is potentially a very hard step.
But luckily if you can see the truth of these things,
Then that step becomes easier.
For example,
If you can deeply see the truth that your emotional experience is not responding to circumstance,
But it's responding to the narrative,
The perception,
Then you can also see that your emotional response isn't responding to other people,
But it's responding to the perception about other people which circles back and says something negative about yourself.
The more you can see that,
That it's not coming from out there or from other people or from circumstance,
It invites you to gently lay those things down,
If only for a second.
Because that's not the real issue.
And that is forgiveness.
And can we just notice and acknowledge the pain that arises in such a blame that says this pain is from the outside,
Which is a blaming of the outside,
Whether it's a person or a circumstance.
Do you see the intensity of that belief which ultimately claims you're powerless?
Which ultimately claims your emotional experience is happening because of what's out there?
And so therefore you are a sort of prisoner to what's out there?
And can you see that it's just not true?
And if you can see,
To whatever degree that you can see,
Can you take a deep breath and lay down everything that's out there?
Which is kind of like acknowledging that it's not their fault.
The pain that you're experiencing.
And see that the pain you are experiencing is because of an innocent misunderstanding that has interpreted this experience in a way that says it means that you're less than or you're undeserving of love or you're missing something that's associated with your wholeness.
And I'll tell you,
It's not uncommon for something in you to really,
Really fight that.
And I think that's fascinating and adorable in the most beautiful way,
That there is something in us that really,
Really,
Really wants to blame.
Which is also like saying really,
Really,
Really wants to give our power away.
Really,
Really wants to believe that there's something out there that has power over your inner state of being.
Which is kind of like a great avoidance of responsibility to own the power and truth of what you are as a human being that has this power to create,
Even if that power to create is to create something that's painful.
