"Each thought, each action in the sunlight of awareness becomes sacred. In this light, no boundaries exist between the sacred and the profane." Thich Nhat Hahn from his wonderful book on mindfulness called Peace Is Every Step
I came upon this quote after posting my blog yesterday and my first thought "oh no!" this flies in the face of yesterday's post. In truth in the light of awareness everything becomes sacred. So each thought we have if watched in the present (the only place it can be observed objectively) can bring us into a deeper knowing. This knowing takes place in the higher mind because that is where the light inside resides.
How do you know if your higher mind is where your thoughts are coming from or if they are coming from your ego mind? Here are some indicators:
Ego-Mind
You need to be right
You feel the desire to be in control
Your are filled with judgment towards self and others
You are closed to those who think differently
You are sure another is wrong and you are right
You are concerned about looking good (Not just in looks)
You feel the need to have the approval of others
You want to win no matter what
You like showing others they were wrong
You see yourself rationalizing behaviors you know are unacceptable
You lack compassion for the suffering of others
Your mind is focused on blaming and complaining
Your mind is filled with fear, anger and distrust
You put more belief is the rational mind than in your heart and intuition
You actually believe all your thoughts as if they are real
Higher Mind
You are open to differing points of view
You feel compassion and caring for all beings
You realize your work is to serve others
You have developed humility
You find yourself accepting of others and their differences
You seek awareness and value lifelong growth
You don't feel the need to judge others
You living in accordance to your higher values
You have the ability to find peace within
You realize that happiness comes from inside
You seek to make contact with your spiritual nature
You respect your body and take care of it
You embrace your emotions as valuable feedback
You are able to relax the mind and listen inward
You trust your intuition and are guided by it
You know life is always about further growth and awareness
You seek to become more conscious
You understand that your thoughts are not real and should be questions
You allow the joy of who you are to come out fully into your life
You welcome the light by living in the moment
I hope you find these examples helpful. Now continue the experiment of either questioning all of thoughts or impartially observe them in the light of awareness. The more you are mindful of what is going on inside the more you will effect the outside world.