Contemplative Monday

The following quote is from 'Heart Advice, Weekly Quotes From Pema Chodron'. (click)

MIRROR IMAGES

"I try to practice what I preach; I'm not always that good at it but I really do try.

The other night, I was getting hard-hearted, close-minded, and fundamentalist about

something else, and I remembered this expression that you can never hate somebody

if you stand in their shoes.

I was angry at him because he was holding such a rigid view.

In that instant I was able to put myself in his shoes and I realized, 

'I was just as riled up, and self-righteous and closed-minded about this as he is,

We're in exactly the same place!'

And I saw that the more I held on to my view, the more polarized we would become, 

and the more we'd be just mirror images of one another----

two people with closed minds and hard hearts who both think they're right,

screaming at each other.

It changed for me when I saw it from his side,

and I was able to see my own aggression  and ridiculousness."