Swimming Pool or Cesspool?
Imagine having two pools in your home: one is a toxic cesspool, and the other is a clean, clear, and refreshing pool with healing powers. Which one would you choose to bathe in every morning? The answer is obvious. Of course, you would jump into the clean, clear, and refreshing pool.
But how often do we start our day by jumping into the cesspool of our thoughts? This morning, I turned on the television and found myself immersed in the story of the latest mass shooting here in Texas. Why didn't I just turn it off? Because it connected to a darker side of my nature... and maybe yours.
Perhaps it was for the same reason that I get some kind of perverse satisfaction from watching violent TV shows. Maybe self-righteousness and anger feed my ego's need to condemn others and raise myself above the unwashed masses of society. I am not sure why I continued to watch it, but I do know that I started my day by jumping into that cesspool, and it was draining the life out of me.
So I decided to get out of that pool and into the clear, fresh pool. I meditated. I simply turned my attention to something else - my breath and the present moment. The present moment is perfect.
If you have been starting your day by bathing in the cesspool, consider starting your day in the fresh, clean pool of meditation. If you can't stand the thought of doing nothing, go for a walk - a walking meditation. Pay attention while you're walking. Look at the trees, the sky, feel the breeze, and feel your feet touching the pavement.
Shakespeare said, “Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” All we can think about in that cesspool is how bad things are.
We can choose which pool to bathe in every morning. Let’s choose the clear, fresh pool with healing powers. As powerful as those negative, toxic thoughts are, it really is a choice.