“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
Matthew 13:24–30
So much of modern spirituality has swung too far into positive thinking as a reaction to the heavy, guilt-laden messages of traditional religion. Unfortunately, both extremes are ungrounded, unsafe, and spiritually toxic. While we are earthbound, challenge will always be part of the human experience. In many cases, those very challenges are to our benefit: they build spiritual muscle, sharpen discernment, and give us a living code to walk by. There will always be times we bump our heads against spiritual law — most often the law of return: you reap what you sow.
Negative or unbalanced manifestations abound because, in general, it’s easier for us to believe in struggle than in joy. Many cling to grind mentality and poverty thinking: work hard, exceed your limits, push yourself. These can be strong, even necessary messages in moments of motivation. But when we absorb them as the only way forward, we enter an unbalanced relationship with life.
On the other hand, toxic positivity offers just as much imbalance — perhaps more. At least with negative thinking, you remain aware that challenges will come. Toxic positivity, however, promises that if you reach a certain level of enlightenment, you will somehow rise above challenge altogether — that you’ll never have to deal with difficult people, hardship, or the messiness of humanness.
My Personal Philosophy: The Middle Way
The Middle Way is the practice of living with balance and clarity. It requires disciplining the mind not to fall too far into worry, guilt, or hardship-focused thinking, while at the same time not being swept away by affirmations of perfection or the false security of toxic positivity.
It is about holding a steady awareness: knowing that challenges exist, yet refusing to let them dictate your destiny. It’s not denial, and it’s not obsession — it’s the grounded work of shaping your mind toward abundance without pretending life will never test you.
Practically, the Middle Way invites you to affirm life’s possibilities, to create strong words of intention, and to shift your attraction point toward experiences that nourish rather than deplete you. At the same time, it asks you to stay honest: to acknowledge that problem-solving, negotiation, and the unexpected are part of life. That acknowledgment is not defeat — it is preparation. When you know challenges will come, you no longer fear them. You meet them with confidence, a positive outlook, and grounded thinking.
In short: don’t spiral into worry, guilt, and hardship as your default story; don’t drift into denial and call it enlightenment. Stand in the middle with clear eyes and a steady heart.
The Middle Way is not about living on a cloud, nor about sinking under the weight of life’s hardships. It is walking between the two — eyes open, heart steady, spirit anchored. You begin to trust that divine intelligence guides your path, even when the road is rough, and that your discernment is sharp enough to step around unnecessary hardship.
In the end, the Middle Way is freedom: freedom from the illusion that life will be perfect, and freedom from the fear that it will always be painful. It is the path that keeps us steady, resilient, and ready for the harvest.
No comments:
Post a Comment