Reminding myself not to believe everything I think…….

Photo by Heather Mount on Unsplash

Yesterday I had lunch with a very dear friend i respect and appreciate from overseas, who told me that “all xxxxxxx (a certain community in his country) are like xxxxx(not a compliment!)”.

 

I remember that we had exactly the same conversation a few years ago, and then I was surprised someone so wise and kind   can label/predict the beliefs and behaviours of every single person in an entire community based on a simple bias.

 

This was a timely mirror for me to look into my own narratives.

 

This is a reminder to myself that I really need to be vigilant at the tricks my own mind can very often play on me.

 

Empathy starts with discarding the old stories we tell ourselves. Empathy starts with discarding running to the past and the future, and be in the present.

 

When we are present, we can discard the past and the future, and discard all the stories we have been telling ourselves. Then we can really put ourselves into the shoes of the others. Only then can we break down what separates ourselves from the others and see through the eyes of others and feel the pain and joy of others.

 

Only then can we transform our mistrust and misunderstanding into love and understanding.

 

I remind myself: Better to keep reminding ourselves not to believing everything we think…….