Purity

Purity. I think it is so important to keep a sense of purity. Purity is when we see things for what they are, when we accept life and people for what they are. When we don’t hold onto assumptions, hidden motives, or judgments. Purity takes time, as we first have to release everything in our hearts that is impure, that which is really holding us back. Jealousy, selfishness, laziness, competitiveness, greediness, instant gratification, manipulation, and judgement are all ways of impurely being. When we hold these types of energies, sometimes unknowingly (they take a lot of inner processing to fix), we are really only hurting ourselves. THis energy is within us, and even if it is directed at someone else, we are still absorbing a large percentage of it. We know what is pure and impure, yet to actually act and think this way is much harder. The reason is because we have to change our programming. We have to change our thought processes that have been developed by our own choices and habits, as well as the ones society and experiences have shaped us to have. We have so many neural pathways, and these get strengthened everyday by the thoughts and actions we feed. We can even feed them by ignoring them. That is why they are so hard for us to change and get rid of. I’m going to give you a simple tool for when you notice these thoughts coming to you. It takes a lot of awareness though! But everyone can do this. Because we feel so much better when we can be pure, such as being genuinely kind and caring towards someone.

The technique is to replace impure thoughts with the opposite when you are aware you acting/thinking from the wrong place. Your idea of the counter thought to jealousy (for example) may be different from mine, but this is just a guideline. Build your awareness first, be mindful, and then you can administer this process.

Jealousy >> Replace with being happy and celebratory towards others

Judgment>> When you find yourself being critical, try to understand that person and accept them, everyone is human!

Competition>> When you feel the need to compete with someone, focus inwards instead and try to grow personally, what areas can you improve yourself, regardless of where everybody else is at in life?

Manipulation>>When you get the urge to manipulate someone, even in a small way, try to harness yin. This is an energy of releasing, allowing and letting go. Let people be.

Laziness>> Work hard. This one is simple. Recognize you were being lazy and do something productive, all the while being loving and kind towards yourself. Don’t overwork yourself, find a balance.

Greediness>> Replace this with gratefulness. Start to name all of the things you have. It will take you a while to get through everything, and you won’t feel the need to yearn for more.

Dopamine seeking>> Creativity is a great defense for this. Create something. You will feel much more fulfilled. It is hard at first to do, but remember we are rebuilding healthy neural pathways, so it will get easier the more you do it and you will build a habit.

There are so many more you could come up with! Identify an impure thought and come up with a solution to a pure way of thinking instead! It’s actually really fun. You could journal about this on your own if you like. It’s important to have self-compassion during this process, as we may fail at times and find it difficult at the beginning.

Have a wonderful day!