We Are What We Think

(Post from my blog on After Autism)

A young woman recently entered our family's life to help care for my son, Ian.   Ian is nine, pre-verbal and recovering from autism. She brings great openness and curiosity to the job every day and I'm so grateful she has joined our family system. Today she brought me a great gift; the gift of awareness and connection.

Today we had a conversation about the power of our thoughts. We discussed how words have very little to do with what we communicate and that our thoughts create a non-verbal message felt by everyone around us.  She was struggling with an old thought pattern deeply rutted from childhood.

As she stood in front of me, completely open to the process of inquiry (a method developed by Byron Katie called The Work), I witnessed a beautiful awareness awaken; an opening to other possibilities, a crack in the cemented belief pattern.  My heart melted.

Several minutes later I walked downstairs to see her engaged with Lane, my younger son: present, aware, curious, loving and open to what was happening right in that moment.  I witnessed a beautiful connection of love vibrating between them. All was well and in a state of ease. Ahhhhhh.....

Less than an hour after she left our home I received an email from her with a poem she found from a mindfulness course she took recently as part of her masters program. I LOVE that the value of mindful meditation is penetrating our formal education system!

I want to share the poem with you as it spotlights what I've learned over the past two years and continue to learn every day.

We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the world.
Speak or act with an impure mind
And Trouble will follow you
As the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart.
We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the world.
Speak or act with a pure mind
and happiness will follow you
As your shadow, unshakable.
"Look how he abused me and beat me,
How he threw me down and robbed me."
Live with such thoughts and you live in hate.
"Look how he abused me and beat me,
How he threw me down and robbed me."
Abandon such thoughts, and live in love.

– Buddha

I invite you to notice where your thoughts lead you.  Do they lead you down a path of suffering or a path of love, acceptance and gratitude?

I'd love to hear from you.  Please share your comments on the blog.