Every day, I get all sorts of “feeds” in my inbox. Some are news-related or Op-Eds about the topics of the day. Some of them are tech-focused. And still others are of a spiritual nature or, perhaps, philosophical.
Some days I read these things, while other days, they get sent directly to the trash.
On the reading days, I take things with a grain of salt. We’ve come to that place, I think. Even though we may trust our sources, we must be aware. We should address every situation with critical thinking. To note. “Critical thinking is the analysis of available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments in order to form a judgment by the application of rational, skeptical, and unbiased analyses and evaluation. The application of critical thinking includes self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective habits of mind.” (Stanford University)
But I didn’t mean to go on about critical thinking. No.
The thing is, I am sometimes troubled by the “advice” that certain publications offer.
The other day, one of them was a spiritual “thought for the day” kind of thing. It was titled “Peace of Mind.”
And it simply said:
“Peace of mind comes not from wanting to change others, but by simply accepting them as they are.”
I thought about this one for a long time, I did. Because, typically, on any given day, some headline, or some politician, or some piece of legislation, really gets my goat.
Wait a minute. Another sidebar here. I say the phrase, “It really got my goat,” quite frequently. I have goats. But they’re all still in the barnyard. So where does this phrase come from? As it turns out, this expression comes from a tradition in horse racing, of all things. And here is how it goes. Thoroughbreds, those racing horses, have a tendency to be a bit high-strung. Nervous. Edgy. So their trainers, in an attempt to calm them down and sooth them, would place a goat in the horse’s stall on the night before the race. But leave it to the bad guys. Unscrupulous opponents would then steal the goat in an effort to upset the horse and cause it to lose the race. “Someone got my goat.”
Now I know.
Anyway, back to my doggone piece of mind.
The quote, again.
“Peace of mind comes not from wanting to change others, but by simply accepting them as they are.”
I know that “acceptance” is a key point in finding compassion. But. But. But.
I have a really hard time with this one.
I’ll use the example of people who are actively working / supporting / attempting to suppress human rights. They are banning books that contain anything about diversity. They are abolishing women’s rights to make their own decisions about their lives. They are attempting to conceal facts about our history.
Now, I know, logically, there is probably nothing I can say or do that change these people. But do I have to “accept” them as they are? If you look up the definition of “accept” it says two things. 1. consent to receive (a thing offered). And 2. believe or come to recognize (an opinion, explanation, etc.) as valid or correct.
Well. In this case, I say “no” and “no.” I will not take these opinions to be valid or correct. And I certainly will not receive them.
So there is my trouble. And hence, there goes my piece of mind, I suppose.
Or, perhaps the “acceptance” simply comes in realizing I cannot change these people. I can only work to bring greater awareness to the world around me by offering goodness, kindness, and ease of my own spirit.
And, perhaps, to quit yelling at the headlines.
“””””””””””””””
“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”
—Dalai Lama
“””””””””””””””
“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”
—Saint Francis de Sales
“””””””””””””””
“Let go of the thoughts that don’t make you strong.”
—Karen Salmansohn
“””””””””””””””
My goat. It chewed my piece of mind. Giddyup, then.
