Quote of the Day – April 4 2012

““This being human is a guest house. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor…Welcome and entertain them all. Treat each guest honorably. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”
― Rumi

I know many people who say they refuse to entertain any negative thought. Somehow they manage to just not think them. I find that to be rather a neat trick and one I have not been able to master. Far too often when I refuse entrance to negativity, I find that I am actually refusing exit and pushing the negativity back inside where it came from, only this time deeper.

What happens then when we entertain any thought positive or negative. We hang out with it and look at it and give it our attention. We ask it where it came from and listen as it tells us of its journeys up through our psyche. Maybe then we can deal with its origin, usually pain which we had not been ready to deal with before. After we have hung out then I can explain to my guest that the hour grows late and I must rest. Usually then it takes the hint and leaves of its own accord.

Sometimes the negative, angry or painful thought returns for it still has stories and lessons to teach me but more often than not if I have been a good host and truly listened it has gone on its way forever.
Blessings, G

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Creating by G A Rosenberg