Our perception of the world is egocentric, which leads us to see and amplify the faults of others while neglecting or ignoring those that concern us. This phenomenon is one of the main causes of conflict between people. The lack of desire for self-improvement combined with aspirations for change against others can only create tension. A snake lives with its own poison and when it bites, it spreads it on its victim. It is probably not even aware that it is carrying this poisonous liquid. It is the same for us: our look, our spoken words, our simple presence can act as a bite even though we have no impression of disturbing it.
The first thing to do is to question ourselves, asking ourselves if what we do or say helps the people we meet on our way. Are we adding light to the daily lives of those around us or are we the cloud that darkens their skies? To find out, we must make an effort of introspection and purification. Is our mind troubled, do we have worries that clutter our head? If so, there is a good chance that we will project them onto others until we have resolved this inner problem. We can thus be toxic towards anyone if we are not vigilant.
The unhappiness with which we live is the first thing to fight if we want to have a beneficial effect on others. We can hardly make people happy if we are unhappy ourselves: an empty cup cannot fill other glasses.
A certain amount of self-restraint and introspection is necessary to develop an awareness of our shortcomings. Then, we must fight them by taking action to correct our faults. By doing something noble, we gradually erase our faults and change our character. Of course, in order to best meet this transformative challenge, it is advisable to ask for help from benevolent people or heavenly energies. Through repeated contact with a form of the divine, whether embodied in friendships or through communication with prayer, we can reconnect with the universal virtues of which we are all seeds. It is up to us to make them germinate and to maintain the constant flow that strengthens them.
