Bitterness
I guess you know them too: Umpteen photos and videos in newspapers and the media that are showing people with the corners of their mouths turned down. Lips firmly pressed together. Rigid facial features turned into permanent expression lines a long time ago.
I am rather sure: These people feel a lot of bitterness. Perhaps they are unaware of it or they are so used to their general mood that they find all this bitterness ordinary. Who knows?
Bitterness arises in numerous ways. But it arises for sure if we are debating with reality regularly. If we don’t let the world in front of our face be what it is. Which is that what is. Even more: Which is all there is.
Instead we come up with “should” and “must”:
The world should be this and that. The world should be fair and candid.
Other people must do this and that. My husband must support me.
Life should be this or that. Life should be happy.
“What’s wrong with that?”, you might ask now. Well, quite simple. You don’t command the world, other people or life. Period.
“But I wish they would listen to me.” Hopeless, won’t happen. “Then I’m influencing them so that they do what I want.”
And with this thought or this decision you are on the highway to bitterness. Since the world in your head is now more important than the world out there. You are constantly trying to adjust the world outside to the world inside.
Imagine your goldfish telling you she plans to refurbish her fish bowl according to her plans. You would shake your head at that or snort in laughter. I’m afraid that’s exactly what the universe does as soon as we as humans make our beautiful plans and set our ambitious goals.
The universe is not ministering to us. Why should it anyway? If we think that or believe in that over an extended period of time, we take all negative experiences as personal injury. And then these wounds cannot heal.
We are living in a virtual ego capsule and reject all invitations of the cosmos. All expressions of love are arrogantly turned away by us. Nothing can heal this way. Acting like this we are running dry. Acting like this we become bitter.
This way we turn into a salt desert – adamant, hostile, everything bathed in a harsh light.