A reminder to drop the “comparing mind” that leads us to evaluate our life in relation to others’ successes, lives or even opinions. It is good to develop a security in our sense of self that does not overly concern itself with how others regard us, but is founded in our own goodness. When we have this there is no need to hide or cover ourselves, to avoid others seeing us.
Many of us have hearts that are overlaid with anxieties, fears, and other defensive behaviours which arose in our attempts to deal with disappontment. One of these is a strong protected sense of personal space, constructed to ensure that others do not get too close. This can be rooted in shame, which is often related to how we sense our own competence. It is a way in which we learnt to deal with the disappointment of realizing that our needs were not noticed by our parents, leading to us growing up feeling inferior and unlovable. Thus we arrive with a mind that judges, compares and endlessly works and worries to make life be a certain way, to ensure our core self stays hidden. Meditation practice allows us to slowly let go of some of our defensiveness. It nourishes a trust that the strength and compassion we need are already within us, just as we are. It allows us to stop hiding from ourselves, and lets us stand confident before others.
When you are content to be simply yourself
and don’t compare or compete,
everybody will respect you.
Lao Tzu
Mindfulbalance 