Seeing things as they are

There are many places in nature where we see things as they are.

I have been to the Grand Canyon several times. Even though the stresses of life is swirling inside of me, seeing the Grand Canyon lights me up. It always greets me with the same appearance of endless red forts.

It is a majesty, layers of mountains that look as if they’ve been painted.  

Nature has no pretense or prejudice. It does not judge. Even if I approach with a heart full of pretense, it accepts me sincerely. 

When I stand in nature, I open my heart and breathe comfortably. I realize that I am also a part of nature. 

It is a passage through which I can meet my true self amidst my prejudices, fears, and resentments. Without the eyes to see people as they really are, our lives can easily drift and become distorted.

People have a desire to be seen as good, even if it is a distorted self-portrait. The number of people who replace their sense of self with materialism is increasing. Money, fame, status,and beauty are used as criteria for evaluating a person's worth. 

People struggle to fill, elevate, and own even just a little more and are driven into intense competition. Henry David Thoreau said people work hard to save money and hide it in safe places, only to end up not spending it.

People live in a world surrounded and suffocated by layers of material. 

But I want to believe the world is still a beautiful place to live if we overcome material barriers and see a person's true self. I learn this through nature. 

And my small wish is for us to be accepted as we are.