dailydatewithgod

As we are experiencing things there is an inner dialogue going on which colors the way we perceive the experience.  We tend to underestimate the presence of our state of mind when it comes to interpreting for ourselves or others what we think is happening. God invites us to hone our attention to both our state of mind and heart. Both impact our perception so automatically that we take them for granted.  It is why it is valuable to have multiple people involved in creating something or making decisions, especially if those decisions or creations will impact others.  Learning to notice what our state of mind and heart are is critical in our interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. God encourages us to know the makeup of our own mind and heart so we can see the signs of the expression of our internal states.  We may not be able to tell in a given moment what our state of mind or heart is but it will be evidenced in our behaviors.  Anyone who has ever lived with another human being knows what it is like to find out something they never knew about themselves because the person sharing their space doesn’t like their behavior.  More kindly there is also a way in which those we are close to, know how to flex around us because they can determine by our behavior what our state of mind and heart are even if we can’t articulate it. When we pay attention to our internal state of mind and heart we develop the capacity for self-compassion and empathy towards others.