I notice more and more now how when I believe something very strongly and grasp onto it as truth, it usually comes around to bite me. The mind’s desire to find some scrap of ground to put under its feet is in opposition to being able to see clearly and respond to reality. Acting from belief instead of what’s actually there creates an obvious mismatch between situation and action that’s almost comical if you think about it. We are constantly going around responding to our own made up world and we don’t even know it.

I am becoming more convinced that not being open = not living. Not being open is analogous to living in the dream state because you only see what you’ve made up in your head. I find it’s just not possible to be open to what’s here now and simultaneously hang on to what I think I know about it. Maybe it’s one of those rare things like being pregnant that you either are or you’re not – you’re either open to life or you’re not.

You can experiment with this in your own life, to discover for yourself whether this is true. This week in meditation class I proposed trying this experiment with someone in your life to find out what happens when you drop all expectation about them and be fully present with who and how they are in the moment, suspending all ideas about them. And no, you shouldn’t tell the person you are doing this. You don’t want to ruin the surprise, do you?

As always, I don’t expect you to take my word for it. Let me know what you discover.