Contemplative Monday

The following is taken from: 'Heart Advice, Weekly Quotes From Pema Chodron'

WE'RE IN THE SAME PLACE

"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, closed-minded,

and fundamentalist about somebody 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'm 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 me when I saw it from his side,

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