Shadow Boxing

I tell you one thing – if you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others.
~Layman Pang

An evolved soul judges no one, condemns no one, but realizes that all are on the road of experience….Science of Mind

Shadow Boxing

Many spiritual seekers I have known confess that one of their more challenging stumbling blocks is sitting in judgment on others; finding blame, finding fault, nit-picking, or categorizing people into little boxes that make them not-good-enough. As these students of life become more aware of their thinking and their attitudes, they are dismayed by how frequently they fall into this habit.

There is an old Kris Kristofferson song with a line that says, “Everybody’s gotta have somebody to look down on.” Until we know the truth of our being and are confident that we are lovable, loved, and loving, our insecurities and fears often lead us to make others smaller so that we seem big.

Judging others is like shadow boxing. We may think we are throwing punches at an opponent, but the truth is that we are taking swings at our own shadow, our own darker self. The other person in the ring is merely another reflection of us. If we find that a bit to loud, a bit too bossy, a bit too…any number of things, the fact that we can identify and criticize that quality means we have experienced it ourselves.

Ernest Holmes has written, “Talk to yourself, not to the world. There is no one to talk you but yourself, for all experiences takes place within.” Shadow boxing is good practice3 for aspiring prizefighters. As spiritual warriors we have different practices, such as meditation and prayer, that keep is on our toes.

Today I recognize all people as my companions on the path. I bless them where and how they are, knowing we are al going home.

Science of Mind