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Insight
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Everything
is part of something bigger, and mistakes are no exception. Every minus
is half of a plus, waiting for a stroke of vertical awareness. In his
brilliant book Illusions Richard Bach explains
that every problem comes to you with a gift in its hands. If you focus
only on what went wrong, you miss the gift. If you are willing to look
deeper and ask for the insight, the problem dissipates, you are left
only with the learning, and you advance on your path.
Gallup conducted a poll asking people what was the worst thing that
ever happened to them. Then the pollsters asked the same people what
was the best thing that ever happened to them. The surveyors found an
80% correlation between the worst and best experiences. Four out of
five people reported that the worst thing that ever happened to them
turned out to be the best.
A Course in Miracles tells us, “It takes great learning
to understand that all things, events, encounters and circumstances
are helpful.” The Course also notes that trust is the bedrock of
a true master's belief system. Trust implies faith that there is
a wiser plan afoot than the one that meets the eye. Only the inner eye,
the insight of higher wisdom, can make sense out of apparent human error.
We all make mistakes, and plenty of them. Enlightenment does not ask
you to be perfect; it simply asks you to be open to a bigger picture
that embraces your humanity while rising above it. True perfection has
space for imperfection. Think of your life as a grand mosaic. When you
examine your acts with a magnifying glass, you see many flaws. Step
back, and you discover that every little piece has an important place
in a grander design. It is our belief in mistakes, and dwelling upon
them, that makes them seem more real than eternal love.
Within you is a child who wriggles off into unacceptable places. Also
within you is a Paderewski, a master who knows how to transform child's
play into a masterpiece. You can regret your errors, and those of others,
or you can honor them. At the very least, mistakes are opportunities
to practice forgiveness. At the most, they are invitations to acknowledge
perfection. Ultimately, real forgiveness means seeing good where others
find fault. A friend is someone who sees through you and still enjoys
the view. You become your own best friend when you do the same.
Alan
Cohen is the author of The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
For information on his Maui seminars and publications, contact 1.800.568.3079,
admin@alancohen.com, or write
P.O. Box 835, Haiku, HI 96708.
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Insight
