When What I Read Appears Ugly
Who Needs the Reality Check?

Since social media is a way to reach out to others, I spend some time every day on Facebook, Twitter, and so on. I’ve noticed a trend that is quite upsetting on its face – people saying ugly things about various friend’s grief processes; lots of nasty comments to the people who rescue, rehabilitate, and/or adopt differently-abled pets.

At first, I was quite upset that people could be so mean. Then, when I took the time to contemplate the issue more, I reminded myself that what I see outside of me is present because I am the projector of all my viewpoints about reality. So, the real issue if I see meanness in the world is. “Where is that meanness inside of me.”

So, I’m the One in Need of a Reality Check Always

When I project judgments, criticisms, and emotions on to others, it is always a wake up call for me. These demonstrations highlight aspects of self that I still don’t own, the parts of me that I choose not to love. So, when I see others project their judgments and emotions on differently abled pets, other people’s processes, how something looks, I feel a great deal of compassion for both the creator and recipient of projections.

In a world where we are taught to criticize someone into improved performance, there is another choice, straight from the Divine Plan. We can take a deep breath and think about what we are about to say. Is it authentically true for us or is it a projection? Is what we are about to say helpful, necessary, compassionate? Or, is it filled with programmed ideas, words, and concepts that we automatically and habitually repeat? At the very least, we have a choice to not speak, and perhaps we should use that choice more often.