One of the most challenging aspects of the various social conflicts we face in our daily lives is discerning which of those difficulties are the result of skewed inner perception and which are real. The capacity of the psyche to create complex dramas out of the enigmatic statements, behaviors, and instances of seeming non-communication on the part of other people is almost endless. Therefore, it is helpful to make a practice of entering the vast expanses of silence, solitude and simplicity that dwell within the inner desert of the heart as a means of gaining some sense of perspective. There - in the inner spaciousness - we learn to live in a realm where our relationship and union with the Divine is the only thing that really matters. From this perspective, our self-created dramas seem far less gripping. That said, it may nevertheless be necessary to limit those social interactions which elicit the most instances of inner drama. It is possible to think well of a person and to send them our silent blessings while at the same time limiting our interaction with them. As Jesus suggested, it is not wise "to throw our pearls before pigs," that is, to those who do not appreciate the things that are most important to us. After all, that is precisely the course that OTHERS may sometimes need to take with us!
Photos: Arches National Park, UT, April 19-20, 2015
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