QUIETING THE JUDGE

The word Toltec means “artist,” and the canvas for a Toltec’s art is life itself.

If you view life through the eyes of an artist, you will see that everything is a work in progress, a never-ending masterpiece. As the paint hits the canvas, it grows and develops, even if we don’t always have an outline to keep us within the lines. Every brushstroke is perfect simply because it exists.

If you view life through the eyes of the judge and conditional love, then life is no longer a work of art; rather, it becomes a series of goals to achieve and contests to win. You are happy when things go “right” and upset when they go “wrong.” Viewing life this way can make for a very difficult experience.

Practice

With awareness, notice how you view the ups and downs of life today. Are you trying to “win,” or are you living in the realization that everything that occurs is an artistic creation of life? Be the artist, not the judge.

Living a Life of Awareness

~ Don Miguel Ruiz Jr.