Moving beyond your mental clouds

photo credit: MïK

After a streak of bad weather that lasted several days, today is the most beautiful and sunny day. The sky is deep blue, the trees, with their autumn leaves, seem like a painting. The lake, in the distance, is glowing and reflecting the light.

Quite a change from the dark, thick clouds full of heavy rain, the strong winds, and that feeling of gloom.

As I stepped outside, I thought of one particular day, years back, when my mom took me for a trip to the mountains. The day was overcast, the sky a deep shade of gray. As we took the cable lift, we passed through the fog, and the most beautiful sunshine was there, waiting for us.

At that time, I had just gotten into meditation, and was reading about Buddhism. While looking over the stunning scenery from that altitude, I told her “See mom? Above the clouds, the sun always shines!”.

What I meant with that, is that all the mental worries we have, are nothing but clouds, limiting our view of reality. One must never forget that beyond that thick layer of illusions and negativity, the light of truth is always there. Just like the sun is there, even when we don’t see it.

When we get caught deep down in our personal reality, this is all we can see. Our personal worries are far too real, dark, and tangible. We don’t see the light of day.

Yet, at any given moment, we only have two simple choices. We can focus on the negative aspects of the situation, or the positive ones. Reaching for a positive outlook on things, even when our reality says the opposite, is like reaching for the light, knowing well that it’s there, no matter what. A wind of positivity, will move the clouds over. A change of perspective, will shed light and bring solutions to any situation.

At the end of each path we choose with our mental attitude, there is a different outcome. Focusing on what we are worried about, only aggravates the situation, drains our energy, and leads us nowhere, making us feel stuck. Thinking of the possibility of a solution, knowing that everything is always in motion, and things will change, will take us to a higher altitude, where the horizon is in plain sight.

When you feel down, sad, or unable to move forward, remember that those emotions are just mental clouds, creating a screen between you, and You. Push them away, by walking a different mental path, and the shiny, sunny You will be there, telling you that change will happen, and that all is well.