beliefs

June Marks PRIDE Month

/ Tim Custis / Leave a comment

June marks PRIDE month, a time to celebrate diversity and acceptance. Unfortunately, fear sometimes drives us to harm others with our words and actions. This fear usually stems from outdated beliefs and conditioning, causing us to choose hate and disgust over love and compassion.

However, failing to challenge our beliefs and conditioning can result in pain and suffering for ourselves and others. We can overcome false perceptions and prevent conflicts by taking the initiative to understand and learn what we don’t know or comprehend. Doing so allows us to respect others’ truths without interfering in their lives and demonstrates genuine love and acceptance. Take a moment to slow down your thoughts and question why you hold the beliefs you do.

While I respect the Bible as a primary source, it’s worth considering the possibility of conflicting messages and the blending of man’s ideas with God’s teachings causing some confusion. It’s important to note that love and acceptance are common themes in many significant religious and spiritual texts. It is essential to approach messages that contradict this message with a critical eye. I am confident that parts of individual spiritual texts, such as the Bible, have been influenced by the beliefs of men of that time and may not accurately reflect the original teachings.

Remember, those beliefs that are inflexible, unchallenged, and deeply ingrained will only cause harm to both ourselves and our planet.

Beliefs

/ Tim Custis / 2 Comments

“We see space as what separates us from everyone and everything. But what if space is what holds everything together; what if it connects everything.

Know that sometimes what we believe to be true is not the truth at all. What is true is that if we never question our beliefs, then our misguiding beliefs are sure to create pain and suffering in our lives. So whether you believe that space is what separates us or connects us, we must begin to question our beliefs. Inquiry at this level always leads to a greater understanding of who we are and the world around us—bringing more peace and comfort into our lives and those lives that we touch.”

The One Truth That Never Changes

/ Tim Custis / 4 Comments

There are so many people on social media today that know the truth. They become frustrated, even reaching states of anger, anxiety, and depression, why because they know they are right, and the other person is wrong. And these truths that each believes are opposites from one another. Who is right, you ask yourself, and you say why I am, of course!

We find and post articles and studies that support our beliefs. We post videos of others who say what we believe, and therefore, that makes us right, and that rightness becomes even more locked into our psyche. We see ourselves as our beliefs, and we lose connection with our true nature, our heart, our soul. You may think I am exaggerating here, but anger, anxiety, and depression do not arise from our true nature, heart, or soul, it arises from who we believe ourselves to be.

You cannot see clearly if your mind already knows the truth. You hold onto those beliefs so tightly that nothing else can be seen or heard. Nothing else can get past the wall of beliefs you have built. You will fight to the end to make your point because YOU are right.

Any parent has experienced this with their child at some point. The five-year-old wants what they want, and they know they are right. The teenager has done the research; they know what is right, and no one can tell them otherwise. Our age does not matter. Perhaps you can remember being that way as a teenager. Are you still that way, or have you become that way?

Has everything from your past that you thought to be true still valid today? Can you find examples throughout history and the world where someone’s truth caused death and destruction? Have wars started from believing that something is right, and then it turns out not to be true?

Have you ever thought about this? Probably not much, most people don’t. We quickly move on to the next thing that keeps us distracted from being present and staying connected to our hearts. We spend all our time in the mind following its guidance without awareness of where it is leading us.

The mind works this way, jumping from one thing to the next all day long, all lifelong. Without awareness, we identify with the thoughts, and then we create beliefs, concepts, and stories around them, and then we become right, and everyone else that does not believe the way we do, is wrong.

Is there a truth that never changes? Yes, we can find them but are they valid for everyone or just for those who believe them. The one truth that never changes is that many things condition us. If you can see this truth or feel it in your heart, you are waking up. Continue to question your thoughts. Are they true, or are they a distraction from truth? Observe them as they arise entirely unsolicited. Only the unconditioned-self can answer truthfully; your mind will only find a way to convince you otherwise; to mislead you and distract you from living an honest, authentic life.