Our thoughts and actions.

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Every thought we think and every action we take has an effect on the world around us. To be aware of this is to be conscious of our impact on the people in our lives. Considering the full ramifications of our actions can be an important part of our spiritual growth. At first, being more conscious requires effort, but once we have made it a habit, it becomes almost second nature. The more we practice this awareness of others, the more we find ourselves in alignment with our integrity. Our thoughts are an important place to begin this practice because our thoughts are the seeds of our actions. It is often enough to choose one thought or action each day and simply notice how we are doing. For example, we may find ourselves replaying a negative encounter with someone in our minds. We may think that this doesn't affect the person about whom we are thinking, but in actual fact it does. If we were this person, we might wish for forgiveness and release. We can offer this by simply letting go of the negative thought and replacing it with a wish for healing on that person's behalf. With regard to our actions, we may have something difficult to express to someone. Taking the time to consider how we would feel if we were in his or her shoes will enable us to communicate more sensitively than we would if we just expressed ourselves from our own perspective. When we modify our approach by taking someone else's feelings into account, we bring benefit to that person and ourselves equally. The more we do this, the more we reaffirm our integrity and the integrity of our relationship to the world.