From the beginning, we have been growing apart. This isn’t bad; it’s nature. Look at a tree, and you will notice that what begins as one trunk branches into many; and each branch also starts as one and divides into many – with each split sending smaller versions on diverging paths. Each path, however, ends the same – with a leaf, in the case of a tree.

The pattern of the branches is not unlike the branching of roots underneath the surface — invisible to the eye. That which is seen comes from that we cannot see; “As above, so below, as below, so above.” Nature is a series of repeating patterns. When you look at little pieces of the pattern, you may see differences; but when you look at the big picture you see only similarities — or Unity, depending on how far you are able to “zoom out.”

Even the leaf has the pattern of the tree and its branches represented in the stem and “veins” of the leaf. Even the shape of the leaf corresponds to the overall shape of the tree in many cases. The whole is made up of many small parts; and the whole is reflected in each of those parts. But all of those paths started with a single seed, within which the entire tree was waiting – including roots, branches, leaves, and countless other seeds.

No two branches, leaves, or trees are exactly the same; but all trees of the same type are very similar – perhaps identical to the untrained eye. And an entire forest could have originated with one seed. One seed, many roots; one tree, many branches; one forest, many trees — all from One.

In the context of humanity, we too start from a single source and emerge into the outer world of diversity. It is puzzling why the vast majority spend the bulk of their time trying to impose conformity on a system designed by God to produce diversity. This is the nature of judgment. An ancient Native American wisdom teaching on judgment reminds us that, “No tree has branches foolish enough to fight amongst themselves.” In our efforts to make things like “us,” we create judgment, war, suffering, etc…

Of course, the plan to create conformity works, but not the way we think it should. By fighting amongst ourselves to make others believe as we do, or act as we do, we create a world in which everyone is unhappy and unhealthy (mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, or some combination of these…). Everyone, it seems is living less of a life than they could be living, simply because they are too worried about what they aren’t, or what they aren’t doing, or what they don’t have.

You aren’t supposed to look like everyone else, and you aren’t supposed to think the same things as everyone else. We are supposed to be as different as we are; and our pain is caused by resisting that natural tendency and trying to conform with others. True, there are some things we should do alike (breathing, not killing, etc…); but those are our essential nature – not adopted behaviors.

Wisdom teachings were set down to help us identify those behaviors that benefit us the most. “Judge not,” for example, is not a rule that you should be ostracized for breaking; it is advice that will bear you good fruit in body, mind, and spirit, should you choose to follow it. But if you don’t, I still pray that your way be made as easy as you want it to be. I wouldn’t judge another just because they judge me. If there’s already that one person thinking bad thoughts about me, why would I want to make my situation any worse by allowing my mental state to degrade to one of judgment?

The act of judgment is based on a conflict of beliefs and perceptions: The conflict between how you BELIEVE things should by and how you PERCEIVE them to be. The important thing is that beliefs are fluid and different for everyone – so are perceptions. And judgment, along with anything else that stimulates thoughts of conflict, activates your stress response. There is no way to be in a conflict and not be stressed. And, in case you’re thinking, “Big deal! It’s not like I haven’t been stressed out before…,” you may want to do some research on stress – it causes every medical problem known to man! Judgments cause stress; and stress kills. You do the math for yourself and let me know if you think the great healer, Jesus, was handing out good advice, or not, when He expounded on the teaching, “Judge not.”

The teaching to, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” is often misinterpreted as: “Do unto others what they did to me,” or, “Do unto others before they do unto me…” The “others” we speak of are US. There is only the ONE, expressing itself as ALL THINGS. There is no “other.” When we judge others, we are comparing them to a memory of how we have seen or heard things should be.

If we are judging others, we were taught to judge at the same time we were taught the standards by which to judge others. And we were all taught these things by different people with different histories, beliefs, attitudes, agendas, and intentions. Who taught you what’s right and wrong, good and bad, pretty or ugly, healthy or unhealthy, moral or immoral? And how are their beliefs working for them? How about for YOU? The one thing you, me, and every living thing should do – always – is LOVE.

Being yourself means thinking your own thoughts. You can’t do that if you are worrying about what other people will think of you, or worrying about what someone else might be “getting away with.” Being yourself means being different while understanding that you are exactly the same as everyone else — at your Source.

Flowers do not mourn the fact they aren’t trees; they smile at the Sun all day — admiring the Sun above which gives the flower life below. Be happy you are different; different is unique – and God only does “unique.” When you are happy with yourself, and love yourself for all of the unique gifts you were given access to, then you can truly love others for who they are. When you love unconditionally, you are free of judgment; when you have freed yourself from judgment, you are free to love unconditionally.

by Pete Koerner, Author of The Belief Formula, and Unique Being

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