SeeWorldAsIs

See The World As It Is

Layers of Confusion

Whenever you are in a panic or really worried about something, it may be useful to remember the following:

Most of the awful things we imagine never come true. And if they do, usually they are not without remedy. And even if they are not without remedy, they are not as bad as we first expected. And even if they are just as bad, we usually can endure them. And even if we cannot endure them, there is always something worse -- like dying. And even if we die -- well, what then?

Seeing the World As It Is

The first step in learning how to see the world as it is is simply to notice what is happening to your integrity and in your surroundings (the field).

For example: if you are sick or exhausted or in a panic usually you will have only a giddy grasp of things. Proud and boastful Panic steps forth as if he were King of the Roost! "Ah," you say, "it is you, I know you well." And this applies equally to fits of grandiosity, vanity, and self-abasement. You know that most of what these bully characters tell you is bullshit anyway, so why take what they are saying literally?

The key is to pay attention to the decisions you make and the actions you take when your integrity is compromised and your view of the world is skewed. In these situations you must ask yourself, "Am I in the best place (from integrity) to make this decision, or should I settle down and wait a bit?"

Paying Attention: Try practicing the following exercise. Note five times this week you paid attention and deferred a decision or action when your integrity was compromised, and note what you discovered about how the world really is.

Not Paying Attention: Then note five times this week you ignored the signs and acted or decided anyway and what you found out.

Layers of Discovery

Just as there are layers of confusion, there are also layers of discovery. The Latin origin of "discovery" (dis-coopire - "to cover") provides the essential clue: the discovery exists already in the recesses of the mind. We simply fail to see it. And this principle applies equally to an "invention" which finds its origin in the Latin word 'invenire,' "to find."

When we gather our integrity through the practice of steadiness, containment and gravitas we ground ourselves in such a way that our creative imagination can take flight and we begin to see and think about things we would not have conceived before. And what is most miraculous is we will also find important discoveries in the most mundane, trivial, and everyday occurrences--the ones that because they appear so insignificant pass most of us by.

Steadiness and Discovery: See if you can note five instances this week when you were steady and rooted and what you discovered about the quality of your decisions or actions.

Further Notes

Pay close attention to the words people use, particularly to how often they will use superlatives such as "too," "maybe," "best," "critical," essential," such people will dramatize or catastrophize events. These are all clues to how clearly they see the world.
In observing the world train yourself to keep an open focus, taking note not only of what people say and do, but also of their emotions, what is happening around you and them (the field) and the sequencing of events. Each element is of equal importance and has equal dignity.
Listening is key. Your six senses (including intuition) are your receptors. If the receptors are closed, you will not pick up the signs and your assessment of the world may be distorted. So train yourself to check periodically and ask, "Are my receptors intact? Am I picking up the signals clearly?"
In seeing the world as it is, the "world" refers not only to the external domain of the senses, but also to the inner terrain. You can learn to see this world just as it is with the same clarity, brightness, and fidelity with which you see the outer. It is called knowing your integrity -- knowing yourself.