There's a pattern that's been heavily ingrained into the mind, one that has continually made things difficult for people. It's their "buts", which almost always indicate a contradiction. I hear it often, people begin by expressing some beautiful thought, then there's an very brief pause, then comes the "but" followed by an expression of something not so beautiful. Usually it's an excuse or some other self-defeating thought that they believe is a good reason for not living that Truth they began to express. Your thoughts are powerful things, and when you continue to believe in your limitations, they will seem very real to you.
People are split, divided. Their own worst enemies are themselves. People like to think someone or something "else" is responsible for their suffering, when in truth their suffering is their own. It's their own unconscious reaction that can only be resolved when they choose it to truly face it directly.
The was once a women who had a husband, two children and a whole lot of wants. For some reason, she didn't find her life as rewarding as she thought it should be, and she figured becoming more spiritual would solve all her problems. She knew just who to ask about this, the most spiritual person she knew, the local priest.
She was sitting in the priest's office, and began describing her problems:
"I'd really like to live a more spiritual life... but I'm so busy I never have a chance to really focus."
"I want to keep God in my heart... but most of the time I don't feel much of anything."
"I want a full life... but mostly it feels empty and repetitive."
The priest looked at her and said, "Miss, if you're not careful, you're going to slide right into hell on your buts."
Notice that a truly happy person doesn't need to validate their happiness, they're too busy being happy. An unhappy person has to constantly validate their suffering, they need to defend it and continually remind themselves of reasons why it is justified. They damn themselves with their own thoughts, then externalize their suffering to remove any personal responsibilty. It's a trap, where the solution, though simple, is impossible to reach through their way of thinking. Pay close attention to your own thoughts. Notice when you use those "buts", and when your defending any of your beliefs. Love doesn't need to be defended, just experienced.
