Thought of the Day

I find self-reflective statements like "I can't live with myself" fascinating. I think they are evidence for the existence of a soul.

I find it fascinating that there is within us the voice of an observer. This is the I in quotes like "I can't live with myself."

This observer examines our current state and express satisfaction or regret. It is distinct from our current state (the "myself").

The observer in my opinion, is the ear that hears our thoughts. In other words, the observer is distinct from the mind! One of my favorite poems by Rumi goes like this:

"But what is that ear inside me that hears my thoughts?
Who sees with my eyes?
What is the soul?
I can't stop asking"
-Rumi

This brings me to my latest thought, that I realized a few days ago:

"Seek to be that person that you yourself would like to be around with."

Do you frequently complain to yourself? When you look at something do you often see the ways it can be improved (i.e. the bad), rather than its positive qualities? Perhaps you believe that the internal critic helps you improve by highlighting areas for improvement. That may be true. But ask yourself, if your thoughts were personified, would you like to hang around such a person?

We tend to enjoy the company of postitive people -- who are upbeat, pleasant to be around with and happy. So why not apply this to our own selves?

Try this out for a while: tell the critic to pack it's bags. It's time for it to take a vacation for all the overtime it's been putting in. And in the meantime, let your thoughts exemplify the company of someone you'd enjoy spending time with.